Of Shadows and Flowers
by charmingchrissy1
Summary: She was the epitome of beauty, the way she stood by the window with her golden hair cascading down her back with his flak jacket draped over her petite form. When her blue eyes locked with his dark ones, he could only smile. Most people spent their entire lives searching for someone that made them feel this way, but he had met her when they were four. *cover credit to owner*
1. ONE

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**Author's Note:** This story is completely fan made, and will center mostly around Ino and Shikamaru's relationship after the war. I'm aware Shikamaru and Temari end up together in the canon, however I wanted to write a story about how it might have gone for Ino and himself. Chapters will usually be long in length, so I will not update frequently, but I shall try to update once a week. xoxo Chrissy

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**PART ONE**

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"Because everything of value that we will know in this life comes from our relationships with those around us. Because there is nothing material that measures against the intangibles of love and friendship."

-R.A. Salvatore

**:::**

She raked her hip length blonde hair into a loose ponytail and draped it over her slender shoulder. The tresses fell like silk as she ran a wooden comb through the strands. With her lithe fingers, she broke the ponytail into three sections and began to braid. As she crisscrossed her hair strands, she began to subconsciously hum a little song. Her blue eyes were staring down at her white wood vanity that was littered with pieces of jewelry, makeup, and nail polishes. It wasn't often she got to doll herself up, but she had an addiction to the glitz and glam. Just as she reached the end of her hair, she tied it off and tugged at the crisscrossed sections, shaping them like hearts. Traditionally she would wear her hair up in a high ponytail or a classic ballerina bun, but today was special.

It was Valentine's Day, the day of love. Her family's flower shop would probably be bustling with last minute shoppers. She glanced at the clock on the corner of the vanity and sighed. The shop would be opening an hour earlier than usual to handle the bulk of people. She reached for a tube of her favorite lipstick and pressed it against her lips staining them as red as rose petals. Popping her lips, the blonde gazed at herself in the mirror, the red of her lips contrasted beautifully against her porcelain skin, and curly lashes coated in her favorite mascara. A small sigh escaped her, but she pushed away any negatives to being alone on Valentine's Day. It would be her first Valentine's Day without her father or her two best friends. She didn't often refer to her two teammates as best friends, but she had to admit they were two of the best things in her life.

"Ino! Honey! Are you awake? The store is opening in fifteen minutes!" her mother hollered from the kitchen at the opposite end of the house. Since the passing of her father a year ago, Ino and her mother had taken on Yamanaka Flower's all on their own. For this holiday though, they had to hire some extra help. The young woman called out to her mother, saying she was just getting dressed.

She stood from her cushioned stool and walked over to her closet. Her hands ran over the various types of fabrics in an array of vivid color. Ino was a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf, and a recent inductee of the Torture and Interrogation Unit. She knew her father would have been so proud of her. It was just unfortunate that he hadn't gotten the chance to see her become a member of the TI Unit. Many members who knew her father before spoke highly of him, and assured her that she would exceed his expectations of her. Whether that was true or not would never be known to her, but she liked to believe that was true.

Ino's father had been the Chairman of the TI Unit, and just before the war that took his life and many others, he had brought her along on several occasions. The Yamanaka Clan were esteemed for their brilliance and mastery of mind walking. They were the epitome of sabotage missions, and exceled in collecting Intel from enemies with their signature Mind Transfer Jutsu. Since she was ten years old, Ino had trained intensely to get the most out of that jutsu. According to many other clan members, and her father, Ino was adept in the jutsu and could potentially become one of the best users in the clan. That theory faltered after the loss of her father, Ino had turned away from that jutsu for several months after the war.

Ibiki Morino, her current mentor and longtime friend of her father, had convinced her that she couldn't throw away her father's legacy. He told her that she was far too talented to waste such a gift that her father left her. After hearing those words from Ibiki, Ino finally conceded and began to train for the entrance qualifying exam. Needless to say, Ibiki pushed Ino harder than he pushed most. He tested her physically and mentally for three months, and on the day of the exam, Ino had passed with the highest marks of her class. She deserved to have that kind of accomplishment under her belt. Ibiki had told her that same day that her father would have been so proud of her.

That day happened only a couple of months ago, and since then Ino has been regarded highly among every member of the TI Unit. The other day, Ibiki had brought her to her father's office and told her that it would now be hers. Unfortunately, Ino was not ready to take her father's office. She couldn't bring herself to take all of his belongings out and stuff it in a box for storage. She refused the office, telling Ibiki that one day she would be ready to take her father's office, but that day had not yet arrived.

"Ino!" her mother shouted, jolting her from her thoughts.

Shaking her head, the blonde quickly zipped up her dress and slipped on her favorite pair of dressy floral sandals. She yanked a black cardigan off of its hanger and slipped her arms through and pulled her hair out of it. As she stood in front of the mirror, Ino licked her lips and combed her bangs behind her ear. The skirt of her dress was a silky lavender material covered with two sheer matching colored mesh like material. The bodice was white and embellished with lace, making her appear romantic and classic.

She was beautiful.

Not even a minute later, Ino was in the kitchen where her mother was preparing a bento box for her. The brunette woman smiled as her daughter appeared under the archway, looking as lovely as ever. Taking a white dish cloth Ino's mother, Megumi Yamanaka, dried her hands and cupped her daughter's face in her hands. Ino smiled weakly as her mother kissed her cheek and gushed over how beautiful she looked. The blonde thanked her mom and walked around to the basket of fruits. She plucked out a banana and started to unpeel it while her mother closed up her bento box and handed it to her.

"I'll be there in half an hour," her mother said as Ino took the bento box.

Ino nodded and waved as she dashed out of the house. She skipped down her front porch steps and made her way down the road. Yamanaka Flowers was thankfully only two blocks down from her house. The morning sun was just beginning to seep through the streets as Ino walked on the road. Other shop owners were setting up their stores, cleaning their windows, and sweeping the floors. She smiled and greeted people kindly as she walked past them. Just as she rounded the corner, Ino entered the market district and spotted her family's flower shop on the far right corner just before Main Street.

She stopped in front of the shop and sighed softly. The day hadn't even begun and she already knew it wouldn't be as bright because her father wouldn't be there. He always loved Valentine's Day, because he loved to help men who were fumbling over what to do for last minute gifts. Ino kneeled down and pushed the flower pot by the door aside and reached for a silver key. When she unlocked the door and stepped inside, she flicked on the lights and gazed at the flower shop.

The flower shop had a particular scent, one that her father often smelled like. It was the smell of the earth after a rainstorm. Her father had told her that smell was called Petrichor. She loved that smell, it calmed her nerves and put her in the best possible mood. Ino closed her pretty blue eyes and took in a deep breath. The smell filled her nostrils, and she opened her eyes with a small smile on her face.

Ino made her way to the counter towards the back of the store and placed the key on it. She walked into the small break room they had, which was more like a supply closet with all the equipment they had littering the counters and shelves. There was a small refrigerator tucked into the corner beside the window that viewed the green house and display garden. Ino and her mother worked on it for months, designing it to be the garden her father always talked about. He always wanted to make a beautiful garden with a coffee and tea shop so people could just sit back and enjoy the flowers. Unfortunately, he was too busy to ever get to it. Ino and her mother made time though, they even put in a beautiful stone fountain, which was more of a wishing well.

Ino pushed the window open to let in the cool early spring air. The gurgling of the wishing well sang in her ears along with the soft melody of sparrows. As she walked out of the room, Ino looked around the shop at the plethora of roses, daisies, poppies, orchids, and lilies. She walked over to the wildflower display and pulled it into the middle of the main aisle. Hanging over head was an antique white and crystal chandelier, and it just glamourized the room as it hung over the sunflowers, daisies, and morning glories. She made her way up to the front and grabbed hold of a faded blue wooden wheelbarrow that was overflowing with flowering vines. She put it outside beside the clay flower pot by the front door.

When she walked back inside, she grabbed a couple of flower wreaths she and her mother had crafted yesterday afternoon. They were made of mesh wires with white and red roses weaved within them. It was beautiful as she hung them on the hooks screwed into the small trellis in front of the shop that were covered in dark green vines with lavender flowers. Ino walked into the middle of the street and looked at the setup, grinning at the romantic setting. Nodding her head, Ino went back into the store to organize a few more things before she'd have to open.

"Morning Ino," Sachi greeted. "Sorry I'm late, my son was being a little fussy." The woman who was speaking was in her late twenties, had tawny colored hair, fair skin, and bright green eyes. Ino's mother had hired her for the spring season to help out at the shop, especially since Ino would be working more with the TI Unit when summer came around.

"That's alright, I was just finishing setting up," Ino said with a smile as they both walked into the shop. "I'm going to set the tables out in the back, could you set up the rose display?" The blonde didn't really bother waiting for a reply as she walked out the back door. Sachi was good about her job, she always did as she was told.

The sun was shining bright in the back of the shop. The flowers were in full bloom and covered in a light dew. Ino walked into the middle of the garden and looked around with a smile. On the right side of the garden there was a wooden fence that she and her mother had converted into a wall of succulents. The various shades of green, yellows, and faded blues were earthy and calming. Directly before her was a greenhouse made only of old recycled windows. It took nearly four months to complete, but when it was finished it was the staple piece to the entire garden. Ino walked to the wishing fountain and stared into the water, watching her reflection ripple.

The blonde went to retrieve the white painted tables and chairs to place in the lush green grass. As she was setting up the final table, she heard the sound of creaking wood and turned around. A small smile crept onto her face as one of her best friends, Shikamaru Nara, leaned against the wooden beam of the porch. He dropped his pack on the ground beside him, and smiled at her. Ino placed the blue painted vase on the table and turned to face him completely. He had been on a mission in Suna for four months, and she had missed him every single day. They may have bickered often, but he was the one person that put up with her annoying girly complaints.

"I didn't know you were coming back," Ino said to him, flattening the skirt of her dress.

Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders. "I wasn't going to be back until next week," he explained with a light drawl in his voice. It appeared he'd been traveling all night long, she could tell from the bags under his eyes and the sand covering his shoes. "But something told me I should come back now."

Ino giggled lightly and walked over to him. "You look like shit," she said, and Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

"Thank you," he replied sarcastically, and Ino chuckled. "You and Temari like to point that out. She said the same thing when I arrived in Suna."

Ino's smile faltered a bit at the mention of the Sand Princess, Temari Subaku. She was beautiful and smart, but above all else she had Shikamaru's eye. He would never admit it out loud, but Shikamaru liked Temari as more than just a friend. Ino could see them together, married and with children. Of course, Ino hated the thought of it. Not because she was jealous, but because if they ended up together, she feared that Shikamaru would leave. It was bad enough Chouji was hardly around, but now Shikamaru. Ino didn't want to lose any more people that she loved. Shikamaru would swear up and down that she wasn't going to lose Chouji or himself, but Ino knew better. They would be in love and wouldn't have time for her.

"How was your mission?" Ino asked politely when she noticed she hadn't said anything for a bit.

Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders. "It was hot and sandy and boring. Could have thought of better things to do, but it was alright." He gave her a soft smile and leaned down to pick up his pack. "I'm gonna head home."

"Okay," Ino replied softly with a single nod. "I'm glad your back."

"Me too," he said and waved before walking back into the shop.

Ino sighed and turned her back to the door and looked out over the garden. She wrapped her arms around herself and leaned her head against the square wood post. It should have made her happy that Shikamaru had come home, and on Valentine's Day no less. He didn't come home for that though, or maybe he had. The fact of the matter was, Shikamaru was in love with someone else. That really shouldn't have bothered Ino, they had been friends forever. If they became anything more it would be weird, and if they broke up they'd probably never speak to each other again. And that was something Ino didn't want.

"Hey Ino, we got a few customers," Sachi said from the door, poking her head outside. Ino licked her lips and straightened up as she turned around. She smiled at the tawny haired woman and informed her she'd be right in. "Is everything alright?" Sachi asked before slipping back into the shop.

"Yeah. Good," Ino assured her with a thumbs up.

Taking the blonde's word for it, Sachi went back inside to help the customers. Ino lifted her fingers and gently knocked one of the wind chimes. As it jingled, Ino looked back to the garden one more time and made her way back into the shop.

* * *

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* * *

"I think it would be in your benefit," Tsunade said as she scribbled something down onto some paper. She dipped her brush in the black ink and continued to write a little bit more before stopping. When her amber eyes fell onto the lazy genius, she smiled weakly. "I thought you'd be a little happier about this." She smiled weakly and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her busty chest.

Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck and muttered an apology. The last thing he was expecting to hear from Tsunade was that she was giving him a month of vacation time. She explained that he'd been in Suna for quite some time and he deserved to relax for a while. Granted, Shikamaru relaxed more often than she thought. He smiled weakly and thanked her for the offer, to which she nodded once.

"Is there some underlying reason other than deserving it?" Shikamaru asked her with a raised brow.

Tsunade laughed, he was as sharp as always. "I know you'd catch on."

"Habit," he said with a shrug, and Tsunade nodded her head knowingly. It was very unlike him to not catch hidden meanings or messages. Normally, Shikamaru questioned often and that's what made Tsunade like him so much. He wasn't gung-ho like Naruto, he was methodical and calculating, ensuring the best possible outcome even if there were dozens. Those skills were the signs of a good leader, something that she wished to revere among the Hidden Leaf Shinobi.

"Your father was my advisor," Tsunade said simply, and Shikamaru stared at her curiously. "Aside from that he was head of the Intelligence Unit, and since his unfortunate passing in the war, I have yet to fill the space." She leaned forward, propped her elbows on the desk, and laced her manicured fingers together.

"You want me to take it?" Shikamaru concluded, shoving his hands in his pocket and bent one knee. "Lady Tsunade, I'm barely going to be eighteen this year. I don't think you want someone of my caliber to be the head of the Intelligence Unit." He shook his head slowly and met the Hokage's eyes.

"You're the smartest person in the village, Shikamaru. I can agree you're young, in fact, if you did take the position you'd be the youngest the Hidden Leaf has ever had," Tsunade explained to him, and he pressed his lips together in a tight line. "Take the month off and think about it."

Shikamaru nodded his head in agreement and held up a scroll. He placed it on the Hokage's desk and bowed before quietly leaving the room. When he was out in the main hall, the lazy genius sighed and gently fell back against the door. Of all the things he expected the Hokage to call him for, taking up his father's position was the last. If his father were still alive, Shikamaru probably wouldn't have excelled this far. He'd probably spend more time laying on his favorite hill watching the clouds. His father would be maintain the Intelligence Unit, and would probably even be pestering him to take over it one day. And perhaps one day he would take over it, but he didn't want it to be this soon.

Truth be told, Shikamaru felt he still had much to learn and much to see. Since the war had ended, Shikamaru had formed many relationships with people. He had tactfully led the Allied Forces into battle and kept the morale alive, even the past Hokage's had applauded his skills. While all of that should have encouraged him to take the position his father once held, he wasn't quite ready. The fact that Tsunade thought he was spoke volumes. Perhaps his genius was far ready, but emotionally it just didn't quite fit. For now he was happy being an ambassador of the Hidden Leaf, traveling to different villages to act as a liaison for Tsunade. Many people knew who he was and knew that his strategies were on par with war lords that have seen hundreds of battles.

Shikamaru had begun walking down the stairs. He was going to take Tsunade up on her offer to relax for a while. Four months in another nation had been far more taxing than he expected. When he reached the bottom, he heard someone walking up and lifted his head to see a flurry of pink and green. Shikamaru stopped where he stood and nodded to Sakura as she approached him. She seemed rather surprised to see him, but smiled brightly and waved.

"When did you get in?" Sakura asked.

"This morning," he replied. "How have you been, Sakura?"

"I've been good," she said, placing her hands behind her back. In four months she hadn't changed much at all. Her hair was still the same shoulder length, her eyes were still emerald green, and her outfit was the same as it had always been. Unlike Ino who had looked more civilian, Sakura still seemed geared towards her shinobi lifestyle. "Have you gone to see Ino? Of course, it is the busiest day of the year for the shop."

"I stopped by this morning for a bit," Shikamaru said. "How has she been?"

"You couldn't tell?" Sakura asked with a raised brow.

Shikamaru wasn't sure if she was scolding him or not. When he had come across Ino earlier in the day, she seemed okay. There was something that was a little off, but he attributed that to the fact it was Valentine's Day. Most people normally enjoyed the day of celebrating love, but this was the first year Ino would be spending it without her father. Every year they had a tradition where they would go through the streets of Konoha and pass out flowers to everyone. They also would make these delicious chocolate treats to give out too. When he had seen her though, he didn't get the feeling Ino would be doing such things. The biggest thing of all, her father would make her a beautiful bouquet. Her eyes would always light up and sparkle with amazement.

He knew this year would be hard for her, but he had hoped that Ino would make the most of it. She was like most girls, a hopeless romantic waiting for that one special person to sweep them off their feet. When they were only six years old, Ino's father gave her a beautiful bouquet of pink and yellow roses, and had even made her a flower crown to place atop her head. She had said she was a princess, and told her father that no man would ever be good enough for her. Inoichi, her father, only laughed and knelt down on one knee. He looked Ino in the eye and placed his hands on her small shoulders.

"One day, you will find your prince, Ino," he told her, "but I will always be your king."

Shikamaru looked down at the ground and rubbed the back of his neck. He too had lost his father in the war, and he knew the grief Ino experienced. The day his father died was forever burned into his mind. He could still see the black and red mass flying across the sky. The power of the explosion still shook his bones and the sound echoed in his ears. A year had past, but it was like it happened yesterday. There were times when he'd wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat.

"Shikamaru?" Sakura prompted.

"Sorry," the lazy genius said with a weak smile. "I only spoke to her for a short while, couldn't really evaluate her." He bit his lip and looked past Sakura as Naruto and Sasuke came into view. His eyes fell onto Sasuke Uchiha, who had—for all intensive purposes—turned over a new leaf. Shikamaru couldn't say that he trusted him, but he didn't think he was hell-bent for revenge anymore either.

"Shikamaru!" Naruto greeted, raising his hand in the air and waving it sporadically. Shikamaru smirked and nodded to Naruto. "I thought you weren't going to be back for another week."

"That had been the original plan, but I decided to come back early. Everything went well, so I didn't need to stay in Suna." Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders and looked among the three.

"Figured you would have stayed to flirt with Temari a bit more," Naruto teased, nudging Shikamaru in the ribs with his elbow. "I saw the way you two were looking at each other at the last meeting." The blond shinobi cackled a bit, while Shikamaru snorted and waved the matter off.

"You're imagining things," Shikamaru chided. "I better go, good to see you guys." He lifted his hand lazily and quietly sauntered away before Naruto could say anything more. Shikamaru and Temari were in an odd place, they weren't boyfriend and girlfriend status, but they weren't simply just friends. Really the whole relationship was rather confusing to him, so he tried not to think about it. Not that he had time to think about such things. Tsunade gave him plenty to think about for the next thirty days.

As he traveled through the streets of Konoha—that was now wide awake—his mind wandered. His thoughts were overflowing with Tsunade's offer, then there was Ino, and thanks to Naruto, he was now thinking about Temari. She was a nice girl, or at least she could be nice, she was attractive, smart, and capable. They had come to be very close, they spent countless nights talking for hours while he stayed in Suna. Sometimes they were deep and heavy conversations, and other times they were lighthearted and goofy. He hadn't realized that Temari was actually a very likable girl. Before he saw her as mean and scary, but after a while she turned out to be rather warm and inviting.

There were probably feelings there, actually, there were feelings there. He just didn't want to admit it to himself. And neither did she. Maybe it was because they were both scared of the commitment it would take. Suna and Konoha weren't exactly close together. It took three to four days to get to Suna. Long distance wasn't exactly something Shikamaru wanted to deal with. It would be much too troublesome to travel so far, which then raised the question what if one of them moved to the other's village. That wasn't exactly an easy call to make either. Temari had her brothers in Suna, and her students at the academy there. She was revered as a beautiful and powerful kuniochi. It's not like she could simply pack her bags and move away. By the same token, Shikamaru couldn't really do that either. His teammates were in Konoha, his family, and his father's legacy.

Normally, Shikamaru wasn't one to believe in fate. That had always been Neji's thing, granted Naruto had beaten that out of him before he had passed. Perhaps though, if fate truly existed, and the two of them were meant to be together then they would be. Shikamaru felt a bit guilty for not even asking Temari what she really wanted. He was really only going off of assumptions and small hints that she dropped a couple of times during his stay. They were so subtle though, they might have merely been nice gestures.

"Shi! Shi!"

The shadow user furrowed his brows when he heard someone shouting. His eyes drifted over to a small bakery where he spotted a little girl with shaggy brown hair waving at him. Shikamaru's lips curved into a smile as he waved back realizing the young child was Mirai, his late sensei's daughter. As he walked to the bakery, Shikamaru knelt down to her level and tapped the tip of her nose with his finger. She giggled and threw her arms around his neck. He hugged her back and stood up, holding her in his arms.

"You've gotten so big," Shikamaru said with a bright smile as he looked at the child with bright red eyes that resembled a red dawn. "Where's your mama?" he asked her.

"Shikamaru," Kurenai's voice sounded from the bakery door. The shadow user looked to the black haired woman and smiled kindly. "Welcome home."

"Kurenai-sensei," Shikamaru greeted with a humble nod. When Shikamaru had left the Hidden Leaf four months ago, Mirai was only ten months old. He had come to say goodbye, and she cried and cried and cried as he left. She had begged him to stay, but he couldn't. He had felt bad leaving her like that, but he didn't think that she would have such a bad reaction.

"She missed you, asked about you all the time," Kurenai said, gesturing to the little girl in his arms.

"You missed me, did you?" Shikamaru asked with a smile, looking at the infant. She put her thumb in her mouth and rested her head on his shoulder. Kurenai smiled, happy to see her daughter was so bonded with Asuma's favorite student. Shikamaru never failed to visit them every week, he often played with the little girl and even watched her on his days off so Kurenai had some time to herself. "I missed you too, kid," Shikamaru said to her and rubbed her back gently.

"How was your mission?" Kurenai asked.

"Same old, same old," Shikamaru replied with a small chuckle. "I guess I shouldn't complain, everyone's getting along so well." He glanced down at the child as she snuggled closer to him, gripping the collar of his flak jacket.

"Definitely," Kurenai agreed with a nod. "Looks like you're going to have to take her with you." The proud mother smiled at the little girl, clinging to Shikamaru like she would never let him go.

"If you need to do some shopping, I don't mind watching her for you. I'm on holiday for the next month anyways," Shikamaru offered, and Kurenai's eyes widened in surprise. "It came with a catch."

The genjutsu master laughed lightly at his last words. Her red eyes drifted to the little girl, and she sighed softly. "Tsunade offered you the position as the head of the Intelligence Unit, didn't she?" Kurenai asked him.

"Is it safe to assume everyone knows?" he questioned.

Kurenai tilted her head. "You knew that she would ask eventually," the woman said to him, and he nodded his head slowly. "I think you should think about it carefully. In my honest opinion, I think you are perfect for the position."

"Maybe," Shikamaru answered curtly.

"Don't doubt yourself," Kurenai said to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Her eyes went back to her child, who gazed back at her. "Why don't you watch her for me? I'll be done in a couple of hours."

"Sure thing," Shikamaru agreed and looked at the little girl. "Should we go visit Chouji?"

"Cho!" Mirai exclaimed, clapping her hands together. Seeing as that the child seemed happy with the idea, Shikamaru looked back to Kurenai who nodded in agreement. She leaned over and kissed her daughter, telling her to behave herself and mind Shikamaru. The little girl smiled and waved to her mom as she walked away to continue her shopping.

"Ready?" Shikamaru asked, looking at Mirai.

"Cho!" she exclaimed again, causing Shikamaru to laugh as he started walking in the direction of the Akamichi household.

* * *

**:::**

* * *

Little Mirai was running around the small playground, watching the other kids climb on the huge jungle gym while she remained on the small one closer to Shikamaru and Chouji. After they had gone to get Chouji they agreed to take Mirai to the park so she could play. They were both sitting on the table top of a picnic table. Chouji was filling Shikamaru in on everything that had taken place in his absence. For the most part, it didn't seem like he had missed much aside from Ino being inducted into the Torture and Interrogation Unit. Before he had left though, he knew Ino had intended on pursuing it. She had only briefly mentioned that Ibiki had been coercing her into it.

"You can do it, Ino. You have an amazing jutsu and the village relies on it," Shikamaru had told her that day before he was going to leave. He didn't know if his words had struck a chord in her, but she had smiled at him and agreed. That had been the last they had spoken about it. When he went on long missions, he didn't really speak to his teammates. On some level he hated that, but when he was on a mission, he had to remain focused on the task at hand. Granted ambassador missions were hardly dangerous, they were much more frustrating than dangerous. It was after all—meetings with feudal lords, high paying merchants, and of course village leaders.

Chouji looked at Shikamaru, who had hunched over. His arms were folded on his bent knees and his dark eyes watched Mirai as she climbed up the stairs of the smaller jungle gym. When she got to the top, she smiled triumphantly and waved to Chouji and Shikamaru. The lazy genius smiled warmly and waved back to her just before she turned around to go down the slide. The auburn haired stocky man leaned back on the table, laying his palms flat to support his weight.

"So what are you going to do?" Chouji asked, referring to the offer Tsunade had made. On the walk over, Shikamaru had mentioned it. The food lover wasn't sure what Shikamaru was thinking. There was obviously a lot of turmoil bubbling and stirring inside of him. The offer was a big one, Shikamaru would be in charge of the entire village's strategies, communications, and security measures. Chouji knew that deep down inside, Shikamaru had the nous for it. His father had taught him well, and he never cracked under pressure. Since the days they were genin, Shikamaru had become somewhat of a hero in Chouji's eyes. The pineapple head would deny that title, saying that was Naruto's thing or perhaps Sasuke's.

"I don't know yet," Shikamaru answered truthfully. This decision would be a life altering one. He wouldn't be able to just run away from the troubles, he'd have to face them head on. He'd be an advisor to the village, to the Hokage. In a sense, he was already on the right track to being head of the Intelligence Unit. Many shinobi in other villages knew of him, he'd forged many bonds, and Konoha even admired him.

"I think you should do it," Chouji said, and Shikamaru looked at him in surprise. "You're a hero to the village, to all the nations. You should do it."

"A hero?" Shikamaru repeated with a scoff. "I came up with strategies, nothing more."

"You minimized causalities, aided Naruto and Sasuke, and kept the morale up among the forces," Chouji listed and smiled weakly. "That's not just nothing."

Shikamaru nodded stiffly. Ideally, it would be the right move for him to accept such an honor. There was something inside stopping him though. Not just the fact he didn't personally believe he was ready, but something foreign to him. It was like he still had to take care of a few things before pursuing such a job.

"You're right, but I still don't know," Shikamaru voiced, and Chouji frowned slightly. "I have time to think about it, so let's not talk about it." He waved the matter off and sat up straight, smiling as he saw Mirai playing with a few of the other children.

"How was Suna?" Chouji asked, complying with Shikamaru's wish of changing the subject.

"Hot, sandy, annoying, troublesome," Shikamaru drawled, and his friend chuckled. "It was alright, I missed home though."

The two fell silent after that. Shikamaru looked up at the sky. They were cloudless and an endless blue that seemed to stretch for miles and miles. The color reminded him of Ino's eyes. He glanced at Chouji and licked his lips. His friends were in Konoha, if he took the job of being the head of the Intelligence Unit he would be able to stay. Shikamaru swallowed and sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Tsunade isn't the only one offering me a position," Shikamaru confessed. He left Suna early for a reason, and it wasn't simply because he missed home. It was because a feudal lord located on the northern border of Suna was offering him a position as his head of security. When Chouji stared at him, waiting to hear more, Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck. "There is a feudal lord in northern Suna, his advisor and security head is retiring. He offered me the position."

Chouji blinked several times. "And?"

Shikamaru took in a sharp breath. "I told him I had a lot to think about."

"And?" his friend pressed.

"He is giving me thirty days to decide."

Chouji let out a breath and shook his head. That was a big deal to be hired by a private hand, but at the same time Shikamaru would be giving up everything. When someone was hired under a feudal lord, they stayed with them and did whatever they were asked. Their late sensei, Asuma, had told them stories about his days as a guard for the feudal lord for the Land of Fire. He would tell them it was an experience that taught him many things that he probably wouldn't be able to learn anywhere else.

"Did you tell Lady Tsunade about that?" Chouji asked.

"You're the first person I told," Shikamaru explained and rubbed his temples. He just wanted things to be simple, he didn't want to pick and choose. "I don't know what I'm going to do." He let his hands fall to the edge of the table, gripping it tight and causing his knuckles to go white. His eyes slowly raised up where he spotted Mirai toddling over to them. She stopped at his feet and reached up to him. Shikamaru obliged and lifted the little girl up and sat her on her lap.

"Home," Mirai said, hugging Shikamaru. "Home."


	2. TWO

**:::**

**Author's Note:** Hey everyone! Thanks for the feedback, I'm glad you all like it so far. I hope you continue to enjoy the story, chapters will normally be over 4000 words, typically 5000 to 6000.

**:::**

**PART TWO**

**:::**

You can close your eyes to the things you do not want to see, but you cannot close your heart to the things you do not want to feel.

-Anonymous

**:::**

**PART TWO**

_ Temari Sabaku was one terrifying lady. She was incredibly cunning and had a knack for witty comebacks. It might have just been that Shikamaru made himself an easy target for her, but regardless the woman loved to pick on him. The woman never seemed to run out of ammunition, and she seemed to have even more when they were drinking. Normally, Shikamaru wasn't much of a drinker, in fact, he never drank at all. The day had been rather taxing though, and he wanted something to settle his nerves. The liquid burned as it rolled down his throat and into his stomach. It had been his sixth glass of sake, and he was starting to feel the effects._

_ "So why are you drinking alone?" Temari asked, leaning against the wooden counter. Shikamaru glanced at her and shrugged his shoulders as he poured himself another drink. "You have some admirers," the teal-eyed woman said, nodding towards two young women at the end of the bar sneaking glances at him._

_ "I could burst their bubble and tell them I'm only seventeen," Shikamaru said with a smirk as he lifted the small cup to his lips. He threw it back easily and slammed the glass back on the counter, shaking his head and hissing a bit from the burn in his throat. "Or maybe I should just burst yours."_

_ Temari snickered as she hopped onto the barstool next to him and ordered herself a drink. "I have no bubble to be burst." The bar tender placed her drink before her and asked Shikamaru if he'd like another. The pineapple head waved him off and reached for his wallet to pay. "Where are you off too?"_

_ "I dunno," Shikamaru said, dropping some money on the counter and pushing it towards the bar tender's side. He looked at Temari, who had turned to face him. The sound of billiard balls crashing into each other echoed in the quiet bar. A smile came onto the blonde's lips as she scooted off her seat and took hold of Shikamaru's hand, tugging him over to one of the free billiard tables. The pineapple head blinked a few times as she started setting-up a game._

_ "You sink a ball, you can ask any question you want and the other person has to answer," Temari said, placing her drink down on an empty table behind her. She held onto the cue stick and smiled seductively, batting her curly lashes at the shadow user. At first he seemed to dislike the idea, but it would help keep his mind off of things._

_ "Alright then," Shikamaru agreed with a single nod. "Ladies first." He gestured for her to take a shot._

_ "Oh I'm sorry," Temari said, handing the cue stick over and started cackling as Shikamaru glared at her._

_ "Don't get cute, just take the shot," he snipped, stepping aside to let Temari go. The blonde giggled again as she took her position at the table, eyeing the white cue ball carefully as she prepared to strike._

_ She exhaled when she pushed the stick forward, striking the cue ball. The balls rolled all across the green felt, and Shikamaru saw one of the striped ones fell into a corner pocket. Temari smirked and turned her attention to the lazy genius, who pursed his lips and nodded his head._

_ "What's your question?" Shikamaru asked._

_ Temari stood in front of him. He'd grown tall in the past year. He was nearly a head taller than her now. She gripped the cue stick in her hand and leaned against it. Her teal eyes studied him closely. His skin had become tanner since he'd first arrived nearly three months ago, his hair was still the same as it had been when they met during the chuunin exams, and his eyes were the same warm color that always managed to capture her attention. There was something about Shikamaru, something inviting and pleasant. Whenever she was around him, she found herself relaxed and complacent with just being silent in his presences. He didn't need to say anything, and she never got bored._

_ "Kiss me," Temari said, looking up at him._

_ Shikamaru furrowed his brows. "That isn't a question."_

_ Temari closed the space between them, their bodies just barely touching one another's. Shikamaru dark eyes watched her closely as she rested the cue stick on the billiard table. He didn't know what to do as she gripped his flak jacket and pulled him a little closer._

_ "Will you kiss me?" she asked softly._

* * *

**:::**

* * *

"Thanks for watching her," Kurenai said with a smile as Shikamaru walked into the woman's apartment. Mirai had fallen asleep with her little arms wrapped around Shikamaru's neck and her cheek pressed on his shoulder. Kurenai smiled and brushed the child's hair from her face. "Why don't you just put her in her crib?" the black haired woman said, waving for Shikamaru to follow her down the hall. They arrived at a door, and Kurenai pushed it opened, gesturing to the crib.

Shikamaru laid the child down and smiled at her for a moment. He pulled away and turned back to Kurenai, who was still standing by the door. He walked out of the room quietly and Kurenai followed behind him. The two of them went to the kitchen, where Kurenai told Shikamaru to take a seat. At first he was going to protest, but he knew Kurenai wouldn't let him just flit away. He walked around the small kitchen island and pulled one of the barstools from under the wood counter. When he took a seat, Kurenai pushed a coffee mug his way and filled it seconds later.

He muttered a thank you and watched the steam rise from the cup. His hands slowly curled around it, and he brought it to his lips. Kurenai leaned on the counter across from him, holding her own coffee cup in her hands. It was five in the evening and the sun was slowly beginning to the lower in the sky. The orange-gold light poured through the white lacy drapes hanging over the window just above the large sink. Shikamaru looked at Kurenai, who put her cup down on the counter and pressed her lips together.

"You seem troubled," she said to him. "And I don't think it's just about Tsunade's offer."

The lazy genius shook his head slowly. "It might very well be the fact that my simplistic ideals as a kid have been lost in oblivion, and I've entered a reality that I am not quite prepared for." He looked at the red-eyed woman, who smiled weakly.

"What happened in Suna?" Kurenai asked.

Shikamaru swallowed hard and ran his finger along the top lip of the coffee mug. "On the northern border of Suna and just east of the Land of Birds, there is a small country that is in the middle of a reform. The feudal lord in that area is in need of an advisor and head of security. During my stay in Suna, we spoke a few times and he offered me the position."

"Quite the opportunity," Kurenai said, and Shikamaru nodded in agreement. "And you want to take the position?" she asked, taking a quick sip of her coffee.

"It's crossed my mind," Shikamaru admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. It was just like he had told Chouji earlier that afternoon. He had so much to think about. He should do what was best for him, but he still had to think about his family, his friends, and his village.

"For how long?" Kurenai asked.

"It would be contract since I am from another village," Shikamaru said and looked at the woman. "Two years." He bit his lip and clicked his tongue. The more he talked about it the more it exhausted him. He just wanted to be home and relax. Thinking about politics and positions that belonged to much more experienced shinobi weren't exactly on his to do list. Thirty days wasn't a long time, but it was just enough for him to recharge. Deep down, Shikamaru was pretty sure he knew exactly what he was going to do. He didn't want to talk about it, he just wanted to let the thirty days past and see if he felt the same way at the end.

All he wanted to do, all he needed to do was be with his friends and family. For the time being that would be best for him instead of losing sleep over the job offers. Truthfully he was flattered and proud that people thought so highly of him, but it was a lot of responsibility. When he thought about to his childhood self, when he just wanted the simple life, he never imagined this. Not once did it ever cross his mind that people would want him to take on positions such as these.

"Go see your friends and family, Shikamaru," Kurenai said with a kind smile. The young shinobi looked at her and nodded in agreement. "Don't worry about the positions, just enjoy yourself for a little while."

"That was the best advice, I've gotten in a long time," Shikamaru said, and Kurenai chuckled softly. "Thank you for the coffee." He stood up from his seat and finished the last of his coffee before carrying his mug to the sink.

"You should take Ino out tonight," Kurenai spoke up suddenly, causing Shikamaru to turn to her with a quizzical look on his face. His brows knitted together and he snickered, thinking that the woman was merely joking. "I'm serious, I think it would be good for both of you." She smiled at him and took another sip from her coffee mug.

Shikamaru blinked a few times, crossed his arms over his chest, and pressed his lower back against the counter. His eyes were fixed on Kurenai, who was smiling innocently. He thought she was up to something, he could tell from that smirk on her face and that gleam in her red eyes. As it were, Shikamaru wouldn't mind taking Ino out for a dinner. He knew this was an important day for her, and she could probably use the pick me up, since it was the first without her father. They had these traditions after all.

"Are you trying to set me up with my teammate, Kurenai-sensei?" Shikamaru asked with a raised brow.

"Not at all," Kurenai smiled.

Shikamaru chuckled and shook his head. "If you need me to watch Mirai for you, you know where to find me." He pushed off of the counters edge and let his arms fall to his side. "Have a good evening, Kurenai-sensei." With that, Shikamaru made his way to the front door of the genjutsu master's apartment and slipped out quietly.

Kurenai walked over to the sliding glass door that lead out onto the balcony. She pushed it open and stepped out into the cool evening air and leaned against the metal railing. Her red eyes saw Shikamaru walk down the road with his hands shoved into his pockets. Bringing her coffee mug up to her lips, Kurenai laughed lightly and shook her head. Shikamaru walked down the road just like Asuma used too. She saw Asuma in Shikamaru quite frequently, they shared the same values. Sometimes when they would talk, she thought it was actually Asuma. He was wiser than he knew, and was stronger than he let on. Kurenai knew that Shikamaru would one day make a woman very happy to be his wife.

"What would you say, Asuma?" Kurenai asked as she sat down at the small two person table she had set-up on the balcony. "If you found out I was trying to get Shikamaru to realize he was in love?" A smiled graced her lips, and she looked up at the golden colored sky.

* * *

**:::**

* * *

It was finally seven. Ino was so relieved that she could finally sit down. The shop had been really busy, she hardly had a chance to eat her lunch. She was happy she was able to help so many people get last minute gifts, but she wished they wouldn't do that. Of course, flowers always looked best when they were fresh cuts. Ino was up front sweeping under the trellis after having pulled the displays back in. She started humming a song as she finished up her sweeping. Her mind had been clouded with many thoughts all day long. Memories of her father, thoughts of Shikamaru coming back early, and how she was sad that she would be spending the evening alone. Sure she could hang out with her mother or maybe the girls, but that's when she realized, they all had someone. Even Sakura and Sasuke were going to spend the night together. Years ago, she might have been bitter about it, but now Ino was happy for Sakura.

"I found myself dreaming in silver and gold like a scene from a movie that every broken hearts knows," Ino sang softly as she reached for the dustpan behind her. "We were walking on moonlight, and you pull me close. Split second and you disappeared and then I was all alone." She was so concentrated on her singing and cleaning that she failed to notice Shikamaru was leaning against the wall, watching her with a small smile on his face. Ino twirled around and swayed a bit to her singing.

She swept all the fallen flower petals and leaves into the dust pan and looked up. Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed when she saw Shikamaru was watching her. He chuckled softly and pushed off of the wall. His hands were in his pockets, and he slouched slightly as he looked at Ino. She bit her lip and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and shook her head. Shikamaru straightened in his stance, and she realized that he had grown even more since he'd left four months ago. Earlier that morning, she just assumed it was because he was standing on the porch, but he had actually grown.

He was so handsome. She couldn't believe that the lazy pineapple head from her academy days had grown up. Before she was so infatuated with Sasuke because he was the coolest kid and he was just so cute, but that was a childhood crush. It had stuck with her for years, but when the Uchiha had defected from the village she realized that she only shallowly cared about Sasuke. There was no true connection there, perhaps there could have been, but she was kind of glad that there never was.

In all these years, Ino and Shikamaru had grown so close. They had a special bond, it was different from her bond with Chouji. There was something so raw and surreal about Shikamaru's relationship with her. It could have been love, or maybe it was just the oath they had to take. Either way, Ino knew that Shikamaru was different from every other guy she knew. He was amazing, he was always there for her. Through her breakups and hookups, Shikamaru stood by her and supported her. That was something she cherished deep in her heart.

"You really gotta give a girl some warning before you do that," Ino said.

Shikamaru smirked and nodded his head. "Sorry."

"Why are you here?" she asked with a weak smile, laying the broom and dustpan on the wall. "Did you need some flowers?"

"That's not originally why I stopped by, but now that you mention it," Shikamaru admitted with a sheepish laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. He intended to ask Ino if she wanted to go eat, but at the mention of flowers, he remembered his mother. He'd briefly spoke to her when he arrived home, but she was on her way to the academy. Apparently she was substituting for someone, so their conversation was short. "My dad used to always get my mother flowers for Valentine's Day, I should probably get her some."

Ino smiled warmly at him, and waved for him to follow her inside. Sometimes, Ino forgot that it wasn't just Shikamaru and herself who had lost their fathers. His mother and her mother had lost their husbands, the loves of their lives. She couldn't even begin to imagine how hard that must have been. If it crushed those two, it probably sent their mothers into oblivion. Ino remembered that her mother had cried for two months and never came near the flower shop until Ino told her that she had lost one parent and she couldn't lose another. That seemed to snap her mother out of her depression.

"I remember when your dad came in here," Ino said, and Shikamaru looked at her. "He always told me and my dad that it had to be the best because it was for the woman he loved." They arrived at the counter and Ino placed a crystal vase on it.

"Yeah, well he was tied to her apron strings," Shikamaru chuckled, and Ino rolled her eyes as she grabbed some pink sheer ribbon and tied it around the narrow neck of the vase. "How's your mom?" he asked, gaining Ino's attention just after she finished tying a bow.

"She's better," Ino affirmed with a smile. "The shop keeps her busy."

"That's good," Shikamaru replied with a nod, feeling a bit dumb for the small talk. He and Ino could do better than small talk. "No plans for tonight?" He figured he should just dive right in and ask, rather than this pointless beating around the bush stuff. Just because he asked her to dinner on Valentine's Day didn't mean they were dating. That was the big misconception after all, Valentine's Day wasn't just about couples, it was about any and all forms of love.

"Uh, if you call getting in my jammies and stuffing my face full of chocolate while watching lovey-dovey, disgustingly happy, chick flicks a plan, then yes. If not, then no," Ino said with a small embarrassed laugh, and Shikamaru furrowed his brows. He couldn't believe that Ino Yamanaka didn't have anyone to take her out, perhaps it was because it was the first Valentine's Day without her dad. And that's when Shikamaru realized that Ino's father would never be able to intimidate her boyfriends, or walk her down the aisle on her wedding day. "What about you?" she inquired, snapping him from his thoughts.

He clicked his tongue. "Can't say that I do," he replied, leaning against the counter as Ino filled the vase with crystal pebbles and water. "Maybe we should...do something." He looked up and saw Ino's eyes were widened slightly, and he wished he could just walk away like he hadn't said a thing.

"I would...really like that," Ino said with a smile, and Shikamaru sighed inwardly. He had feared that she would either refuse him or criticize him for 'ruining their friendship' or 'making it awkward' or whatever. "Why don't we take these to your mom, and then go eat or something. You can tell me all about Suna." She started pulling some pale pink tulips from a black pot behind her, trimmed their stems and placed them gently in the vase.

"Alright, if you wanna hear about boring politics," Shikamaru agreed with a shrug, sounding surprisingly upbeat about it all. Ino looked at him and laughed. "Or perhaps you can tell me about being inducted into the TI Unit."

"Oh," Ino muttered.

"Slip your mind?" Shikamaru asked with a chuckle. "I'm proud of you, Ino. That's really good news, and your father would be so proud of you too." He reached over the counter and placed his hand on top of Ino's, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

Ino stared at their hands for a moment. She was just about to turn her hand over and lace her fingers with his, but the sound of the back door squeaking open and slamming closed stopped her. Ino cleared her throat and quickly pulled her hand away and turned around to see Sachi walking in with a watering can and shovel in her hands. The tawny haired woman stopped when she saw Ino and Shikamaru staring at her. She smiled kindly and waved, apologizing for just barging in. Ino shook her head and assured her it was fine as she added the finishing touches to the crystal vase and tulips.

Shikamaru remained silent on the other side of the counter, glancing from the flowers to Ino every so often. He wondered if he shouldn't have reached out and touch her hand. She didn't seem to not like him touching her, her facial expressions remained calm, and it wasn't like she had rejected it all together and pulled away quickly. His dark eyes studied Ino's face for a moment, she was still one of the most beautiful woman in Konoha. He may have teased her about caring too much about her looks, but it was only because he believed Ino was gorgeous just the way she was. There was no need for her to wear make-up or do her hair all nice, but she did and he thought it was silly.

"Well everything's watered and I brought the tables in out back," Sachi said as she walked out of the storage room. "Did you need anything else?" she asked politely walking over to Ino and Shikamaru.

"No, you're free to go. Shikamaru will help me lock up. Go see your son, have a nice night," Ino said to the woman, who smiled brightly and nodded once.

"You two have a nice night out on the town," Sachi chimed as she waved and walked away.

Ino blushed and stifled a laugh, while Shikamaru returned the sentiment. "She seems nice," he drawled, turning his attention back to Ino after Sachi was out of the shop.

"She is," Ino agreed with a small nod. "She's always telling me I need to find a guy." The blonde rolled her pretty blue eyes and looked at Shikamaru, who titled his head slightly. Ino suppressed a laugh and waved it off, telling him not to worry about it.

The funny thing about it all, Shikamaru was worried about it. He may not have said it out loud, but he would gladly knock someone into next week if they ever hurt Ino. Sometimes, Shikamaru wasn't even sure if he could handle Ino being romantically involved with someone. That wasn't really his call though, Ino and him were only friends. They couldn't really ever be anything more than best friends.

"There," Ino said cheerily. "All done."

"Looks great, Ino." He smiled and pulled out his wallet to pay for the flowers. "Thank you." She stared at him for a moment and looked away, brushing her hair behind her ear. When she lifted her gaze, Shikamaru could swear she had a small flush on her cheeks. She looked away too quickly, turning her attention to the register to charge him.

"Actually," she said before dialing in the price. "Just pay for my dinner and we'll call it even."

Shikamaru smirked and closed up his wallet. "Deal."

* * *

**:::**

* * *

_Temari was pressed against him, and Shikamaru could feel his blood pulsing through his entire body. He could hear the pulsing in his ears, and he licked his lips. His eyes fell onto Temari's face, tracing her lips and then to her teal eyes. She was a beautiful woman, and he'd be a lair to deny he didn't like her. Sure, she was troublesome and bossy, but so was Ino. At the thought of Ino, Shikamaru sighed heavily and broke his stare from Temari. He wasn't sure why, but the thought of Ino kept him from wanting to kiss Temari. Before his teammate came into his mind, he was ready to go for a kiss._

_ Shikamaru shook his head and lifted his hands to Temari's shoulders and gently pushed her back. She blinked a few times, confused by his actions as he gently touched the side of her face. He swallowed hard and closed his eyes, leaning forward and kissing her forehead. Temari closed her eyes at the softness of his touch, and nearly leaned into him._

_ "What's wrong?" Temari asked him._

_ Shikamaru shook his head. "I don't want to do this like this." He gestured to the drinks on the table and continued, "I would prefer to not have any sort of regrets in the morning." His hand fell from her face and he smiled weakly._

_ "You think you'd regret it?" Temari inquired, biting her lip._

_ He didn't know._

_ "What if?" she pressed, and Shikamaru met her gaze. "What if you don't?"_

_ "Then me being sober and doing something like this would be fine," Shikamaru replied, leaning back against the billiard. Temari looked down at her feet and nodded slowly. "I know the punchline to this story and it's not a funny one or a good one." He rubbed the back of his neck and cleared his throat._

_ "There's a story?" Temari questioned, leaning on the billiard beside him._

_ Shikamaru nodded his head as he stared down at the scuffed up wooden floor. He took in a deep breath and slowly let it out, turning to look at her. "It goes something like a guy walks into a bar, gets a little drunk, and sees this beautiful girl," he smiled at Temari, who blushed slightly and he continued, "they get to talking, fall for each other, and end up lovers, who laugh and cry and argue and try to make it work, but then he walks into a bar."_

_ Temari stared at him for a moment and looked away sadly._

_ Shikamaru pushed away from the billiard and takes the cue stick from Temari's hand. He lays it on the table, and she looks at it with furrowed brows. When she looked back to Shikamaru, he is holding his hand out to her. She gives him a quizzical look, but he only smiles, shaking his hand at her. Temari bites her lip and places her hand in his._

_ Right on cue a slow song plays from the jukebox, and Temari chuckles softly as he leads her out to the small dance floor across the way. He places her hands on his shoulders, and slowly moves his to her waist. Temari closed her eyes and moved closer, resting her head on his chest as they slowly danced in circles._

* * *

**:::**

* * *

Shikamaru and Ino found themselves sitting on a park bench munching on some dango. They had delivered the flowers to Shikamaru's mother and had a small chat with her before they had left to eat. They didn't want to go to a true restaurant, so Ino opted for a street vendor near the park so they could walk and talk. It had mostly been dull conversations, neither one of them truly venturing an interesting topic about themselves. Shikamaru didn't know if he should tell Ino about the feudal lord and Tsunade's offer. He knew that Ino liked having him around, she'd mentioned it a couple of times. Not directly, but in her Ino way.

She would tell him that when they weren't going on missions together it didn't feel right. If Chouji or himself were missing, she felt like part of herself was missing. At first, Shikamaru thought she was overreacting. He would tell her they were shinobi and had to be able to work with others just as well as they did with others. Her words resonated within him when he was in Suna for four months and couldn't see them. He knew they would be going on missions or doing their own thing, and he felt empty because he didn't have them there. It wasn't like they all need to be together on every mission, but when they didn't talk to each other...it just wasn't natural. They needed each other, even Chouji said he felt that way from time to time.

"So tell me about your mission to Suna," Ino said, glancing up at Shikamaru. They were sitting close to one another, hardly an inch of space between them. She nudged him when he remained silent for a few seconds. Shikamaru looked at her, and she gestured for him to say something.

"I already told you," Shikamaru replied with a shrug. "It was sandy, hot, and boring." He took a bite of dango and chewed quietly.

"There must be more to it than that," Ino said, playing with the end of her braid. "So just tell me." She looked up at him with curious blue eyes, and Shikamaru looked back at her.

"You don't really mean the mission, do you?" he asked.

Ino bit her lip and played with one of the dango skewers. Shikamaru nodded his head slowly, understanding her tacit answer. He slouched in his seat and stared up at the sky that was slowly going dark with a few stars gleaming like jewels.

"What's wrong, Ino?" Shikamaru asked. He had an idea, but he'd much rather her say it. Of course, the Ino thing to do was beat around the bush or ignore it all together. He knew her so well, she would never say what she really thought. She believed it to be a kindness to not be selfish with him or Chouji, but really it wasn't. Chouji and Shikamaru wanted to know exactly how Ino felt, she was their best friend. They relied on each other, on and off the battlefield.

Ino shook her head. "Nothing. Just...I missed you," she said with a smile.

Shikamaru put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in for a hug. Ino didn't fight him, she just leaned on him and turned her face into the crook of his neck. She took in his scent, the smell of freshly cut grass. Next to her father's scent, Shikamaru's scent was one of her other favorites. When he let her go, Shikamaru brushed her hair from her face and stroked her cheek with the back of his head. She closed her eyes to the touch of his calloused fingers and sighed softly.

"I missed you," he told her, and her eyes opened up. "But there's more to it than that and if you say there isn't, then I don't know you, Ino."

"Okay," Ino swallowed and continued, "You didn't say a single thing while you were in Suna. I understand that you may have been preoccupied, but four months and nothing." She shrugged her shoulders not feeling the need to continue.

"A lot was going on, I know it's not an excuse, but," he paused and shook his head, unsure of what to really say, "I'm sorry."

Ino looked at him and shook her head. "I get it."

Shikamaru furrowed his brows. "Ino."

"Just tell me one thing," Ino said and licked her lips. "Are you going to leave?"

Shikamaru stared at Ino. He knew that she didn't know about the feudal lord's offer, meaning she was coming from a different angle. In a way, Shikamaru was a bit surprised that Ino was saying such things. Granted it wasn't like she was directly saying "If you and Temari get together are you going to move to Suna", but Shikamaru knew Ino's language so well. Her mannerisms, her tone of voice, and the way she was fidgeting with the hem of her dress.

"Leave?" he questioned, wondering if he could get her to outright say it.

Ino looked at him and nodded her head. "I'm not stupid," she said, and Shikamaru frowned. "You and Temari...you two make sense." She shrugged her shoulders and bit back her tears and bitter tone. She tried to hide the jealous and anger within that was bubbling to the surface.

"Ino," Shikamaru tried, but the blonde just stood up abruptly and walked into the middle of the path way. He sighed and stood up, walking over to her. He gently put a hand on her shoulder, forcing her to turn around.

"I can't do this again," Ino said, her voice beginning to crack as her eyes welled up with tears. "I lost...my dad...and I'm losing Chouji, and I can't...lose you too." Her body began to tremble, and Shikamaru shook his head and pulled her into his arms. She sobbed softly into his chest, gripping his shirt tightly.

"You aren't going to lose me or Chouji," Shikamaru whispered into her ear. "We're never going to leave you." He kissed the top of her head and rubbed circles into her back, trying his best to comfort her.

She pushed away from him and wiped away her tears. "That's a lie."

"Ino," Shikamaru sighed.

"Four months!" she snapped. "You went to Suna and never said anything for four months!"

Shikamaru felt guilty about that, he truly did. At the same time though, he couldn't take all the blame for that. "Is it some sort of one way street?" he asked, probably a little harsher than he should have. "You could have written me too, Ino."

The blonde took in a sharp breath and looked away, her tears silently falling down her cheeks. "Yeah," she sniffled and turned away. "I guess I could have." With those words Ino walked away, leaving Shikamaru standing in the middle of the road.

"Ino!" he called out, but she just kept walking.


	3. THREE

**:::**

**Author's Note:** Much love to everyone who has been reading and commenting! Also please excuse my typos, I try to catch them as best I can. Enjoy this chapter!

**:::**

**PART THREE**

**:::**

We tell lies when we are afraid...afraid of what we don't know, afraid of what others will think, afraid of what will be found out about us. But every time we tell a lie, the thing that we fear grows stronger.

-Tad Williams

**:::**

Ino sighed as she stared out the window of her bedroom. It was her day off, she didn't have to report to the TI Unit, nor the flower shop. Two days ago, Ino had stormed off after her and Shikamaru's little spat. Neither one of them had spoken to each other, if anything Ino was avoiding him. Of course, she had a feeling he wasn't exactly looking for her. He was probably tired and wanted to enjoy his time off. The last thing he would want is get into an argument with her—actually, he hardly argued, he just listened to her yell. That was one thing Ino liked about him, he would listen to her rage rather than interjecting whenever he so pleased. It was attributed to his laziness; rather than expend his energy on a long argument, he'd make it short and sweet.

The blonde huffed and snapped the book she was trying to read close. Her mind was overflowing with thoughts of the shadow user. She knew it wasn't good for her to pine over him so much, but she couldn't help it. He was her friend, he needed to be there for her. Ino placed the book on the bench she was sitting on and stood up. Reading wasn't going to help her, so she assumed cleaning might do the trick. When she turned to look at her room, her lips turned into a frown.

Her room was immaculate.

Her book shelf was clean and orderly, there wasn't a single wrinkle on her purple and white bedspread, not a speck of dust on her white vanity, and all her clothes were neatly hung in her closet. That's when she remembered the night she returned after her argument with Shikamaru she spent the entire night cleaning her room from ceiling to floor. She licked her lips and decided she'd go make herself some tea to calm her nerves. It didn't make sense to her why she was feeling so anxious, but she was. She had the house to herself since he mother was out at the shop for the day. If it were any other day, Ino would have the music blasting loud and would be dancing all around the house.

Just as she walked past the front door, a knock came to the door. Ino stopped and spun around on her heels and raised a brow. She wasn't expecting anyone to be dropping by. When she got to the door, she unlocked it and twisted the knob. Ino blinked when she saw Sakura standing on her porch with a smile on her face.

"Sakura?" Ino mused.

"Just got off my exceptionally long fourteen hour shift, and I thought it'd be fun to have girly gossip while painting our nails," Sakura chuckled as she pulled a pink and white polka dot bag that revealed various nail polishes. Ino smiled and stepped aside to let her friend into her home. When she kicked off her shoes by the front door, Sakura looked back to Ino. "I heard you and Shikamaru went out on Valentine's Day, how'd that go?"

Ino shrugged her shoulders, causing Sakura to tilt her head in curiosity. The blonde honestly didn't know what caused her to snap. That was a lie, she knew exactly why she'd asked Shikamaru if he was going to leave. It was one thing that he frequently left on month long missions, but leaving permanently and being with another girl on top of it stabbed her heart. She wasn't sure if it was because she had romantic feelings for him, or if she was just attached to him. It was always odd to her when she'd be venturing the streets and not see Shikamaru with Chouji and the barbeque joint they frequented in their genin days with Asuma. It was even stranger when she'd go to Shikamaru's favorite rooftop and not see him dozing, or on his favorite training ground watching the clouds.

Shikamaru was a simple man of habit. He didn't care much for complexities, he liked black and white versus shades of grey. Ino couldn't really blame him, sometimes it was easier when there were only two choices instead of dozens. Shikamaru was a genius though, he could come up with different scenarios in an instant. That ability gave him a chance to select the best possible route to take. Ino envied that in him, but something told her that he too was confused about what he was going to do. Maybe he'd finally reach a problem he couldn't solve. He may have told her that she'd never lose him or Chouji, but deep down he knew that if he left they'd never speak again. It wasn't like he was simply moving across Konoha, he was moving to a different region all together.

"Did something happen?" Sakura asked, after several moments of silence.

Ino looked at her pink haired friend and shook her head, walking away quickly. The medic, furrowed her brows and followed Ino into the kitchen. She was busying herself, so Sakura was positive something was up. Sakura pulled a chair out at the table and watched Ino, who was in a daze of sorts. It was like she was moving on auto pilot, trying not to think at all.

"Did he tell you about his promotion to the Intel Division Head, is that what it is? I figured you'd be happy for him really." Sakura shrugged her shoulders and opened up her bag, pulling out the nail polishes and lining them up neatly. Ino had stiffened, and Sakura realized that her friend had no idea. "He didn't tell you, did he?" she asked.

"No," Ino muttered with a shake of her head. She went back to make the tea, but her mind was bubbling with questions. How could he not tell her something like that? Why would he not bring it up when she was asking him if he was going to leave? It wasn't adding up, Shikamaru wasn't one to brag, but that was something worth bragging she thought. She put the kettle on the stove and stepped away from it as it simmered.

"Maybe he didn't tell you because he hasn't accepted the offer just yet," Sakura said, glancing at Ino. The blonde had pulled out a seat across from Sakura and frowned at her words. "What's wrong, Ino?" Sakura probed.

Ino stared down at the table. If Shikamaru hadn't accepted the offer, maybe he was actually considering making the permanent move to Suna. Ever since the Fourth Shinobi War ended, the Five Great Shinobi Nations were at peace. It was easier to take residents in a neighboring country now, as opposed to before. With all the political reforms going around, ambassadors were constantly traveling around. Ino didn't want to think that Shikamaru would just leave without talking to her and Chouji about it.

"I'm sorry, Sakura. I just have a lot on my mind," Ino said with an apologetic smile. She didn't want Sakura giving her the third degree, and she certainly didn't need her hounding Shikamaru. It was better if she just swallowed the bitter pill for now. "Let's just paint our nails and talk about something else."

Sakura blinked a few times as Ino started admiring the different polishes. She opened her mouth to say something, but Ino stopped her.

"Don't. Please." Ino smiled weakly and looked back at one of the mint green polishes. Sakura nodded stiffly, and decided to not bring it up anymore. It was obvious that Ino and Shikamaru had something to discuss.

* * *

**:::**

* * *

"So tell me again, what's stopping you exactly," Naruto said as he flung four kunai knives at the shadow user across the clearing. Shikamaru was knelt down on one knee, a few beads of sweat forming on his brow, and breathing labored. He had no idea what possessed him to agree to train with Naruto and Sasuke. Those two were on an ungodly level of strong while he was a mediocre leveled shinobi. He may have been ranked as a jounin, but he felt like he was still chuunin ranked.

Shikamaru manipulated his shadows to catch all four kunai and flung them behind him where Sasuke stood. The Uchiha pulled out his katana, slicing each of the kunai down like they were pieces of paper. He stood back onto his feet and dusted off his flak jacket. Naruto knew that he was given the opportunity to lead the Intelligence Division, but he also knew that Shikamaru hadn't jumped at the chance yet. He didn't want to share the information that he'd be offered another position elsewhere, especially when he hadn't even told his own mother and Ino. They'd probably kill him if they knew he told others before them. As far as Ino and his mother concerned they were the only women he needed in his life—only people to be more correct.

"When I become Hokage, I need you to be that guy," Naruto said with a smirk, which made Shikamaru frown. He was feeling even guiltier about it now. "Besides, you're perfect for it. You see things when others don't even know what to see." The blonde jumped back when Sasuke went in for an attack.

"I just don't think I'm ready, it isn't the right time," Shikamaru explained as he stretched his shadow towards Sasuke, who jumped out of his range just before he got him. The shadow user cursed and recalled his shadow.

"There's never a right time," Sasuke said, which surprised Shikamaru. Normally, the Uchiha was a man of few words. That might have been the most Sasuke had said to him since they were children in the academy. "You just do it. All you have to decide is if you want to or not."

Naruto chuckled and placed his hands behind his head. "See, even Sasuke knows."

Shikamaru glanced at Naruto and then to Sasuke. "It doesn't change the fact that it's a huge responsibility."

"Quit being lazy, Nara," Sasuke pointed his katana at Shikamaru and continued, "There is no one smarter or more gifted in battle strategy in the entire shinobi world than you. Not even me."

Shikamaru snorted at the last bit of Sasuke's words. Needless to say, Shikamaru was amazed and in a sense honored that Sasuke was saying such things to him. Deep down, Shikamaru still thought highly of Sasuke as a skilled shinobi, as a friend though, Sasuke was a total rat. Sasuke sheathed his katana and looked at Naruto, who was nodding in agreement. If it wasn't for the fear of Ino crying and yelling at him, Shikamaru would tell them about the offer from the feudal lord.

"Eloquent compliment," Shikamaru said as a snide remark, which caused the Uchiha to smirk. "I'm still thinking about it though."

"Well it isn't like Granny Tsunade is gonna give it to anyone else," Naruto said with a shrug.

"What makes you say that?" Shikamaru asked curiously.

"Cause she knows you're going to take the position," Naruto explained, which caused Shikamaru to stiffen a bit. That bit of information added a little more pressure onto him. "And so do I." The blond gave him a thumbs up along with his goofy grin.

_Why didn't I just go cloud watching instead_, Shikamaru mused to himself. All this talk of what others expected and what he should do and what he wanted were all blurring together. It was times like these when he wished he had Asuma or his father around to play shoji with or to just advise him. Perhaps it was time he grew up and made the tough decisions alone. The problem was he didn't really know what he wanted. It was driving him insane, he was about ready to start picking petals off of flowers.

His clan would probably expect him to take on the position. It was his right as he was the son of the clan head, not to mention he had made them proud during the war. He had almost brought it up the other evening, but his mother was reminiscing on the good times. She had missed his father so much, and Shikamaru didn't want to take those smiles or happy tears away. He didn't want to make her worry about something that wasn't her burden to bear. Of course, she had told Shikamaru that she was proud of him and no matter what he did she'd support him. That had been after the war though when he was in the hospital with broken bones and bruises on his skin. He knew though, she loved him and no matter what she just ultimately wanted him to be happy.

_Ino_, Shikamaru thought, wondering what the blonde would say. After that night at the park, Shikamaru was weary to even bring up any of it. Out of her own selfishness, Ino would tell him to take the position here and forget the other one. Or maybe she'd surprise him and let him go, but he doubted it. He'd have to tell her eventually, just like he told Chouji and Kurenai, but first he had to tell Tsunade and his mother. _You're going to be mad that I made you fifth in line, _Shikamaru thought with a chuckle.

"Hey, you coming?" Naruto asked as he and Sasuke were making their way towards the village.

Shikamaru snapped out of his thoughts and looked at the two. "No, I gotta do something." Naruto didn't question him and continued on his way to the village. When it came to ramen, Naruto really cared about little else until he had eaten. Sasuke on the other hand stared at Shikamaru for a bit. He wasn't sure why, but he assumed it was because he was leaving him alone with the bottomless pit known as Naruto.

When the two were gone, Shikamaru shoved his hands into the pocket of his pants and walked in the opposite direction. He needed to go see his dad and Asuma. They may not have been able to answer him anymore, but he still felt better when he went to visit their graves.

It was hard to believe that they had been gone for so long. Sometimes Shikamaru felt like he would wake up and see them both again. Asuma would have a cigarette in his mouth, waiting for him at the training grounds while his father would be waiting on the back porch to play shogi with him in the evening. Those were all just wishes though, hopeful wishes that he was in some sort of nightmare. The reality was that he needed to take what they had left behind and keep moving forward. His father would probably tell him to do what was right for him, forget the rest. Asuma would probably say whatever he chose to do it would be right for him.

Shikamaru stopped when he noticed a familiar chakra signature. His eyes slowly lifted and he furrowed his brows. At the end of the road, Ino Yamanaka walked out dressed in her usual shinobi attire. Shikamaru hated to admit it, but that was his favorite look on Ino. Her purple skirt reached down to her ankles with a long slit right up the middle, beneath the skirt were black shorts that reached mid thigh, her tone abdomen was exposed, and a mid-riff purple vest draped over her fish net top that formed her body nicely. Her hair waved in the wind, and her blue eyes spotted him.

She looked on hesitantly. It was like she was debating if she should approach. It had been three days since the events at the park. He cleared his throat and was about to wave, but Ino walked away. Shikamaru frowned, but decided to let her walk away. When Ino was ready, she would let him know. She might yell, cry again, or worse slap him. No matter which way she chose, Shikamaru would not push her, especially when his decisions were wavering. In a logical stand point, Shikamaru needed more experience and should go with the feudal lord. Naruto had even said Tsunade wasn't going to give the position to anyone else, so they could wait.

But could he just walk away?

* * *

**:::**

* * *

_She was standing in his door way, arms crossed over her chest and eyes slightly misty with unfallen tears. Her hair was neatly pinned into a perfect bun and her clothes were wrinkle free. She took in a deep breath and looked into his eyes. He frowned and approached her slowly, placing a hand on her cheek. A tear slipped from her eye and he wiped it away with his thumb. He pulled her in close and tried to comfort her._

_ "Come on," he said gently, leading her over to his bed. First he laid down, and she followed in suit, resting her head on his chest. His arm wrapped around her lithe figure, and he stroked her back softly. "It's okay," he whispered, as the blonde sobbed quietly on his chest. She gripped his shirt tightly in her hand and curled closely to him._

_ "I feel so stupid for acting like this," Ino croaked, staring at the window. The silver moon was shining through the hospital room window. It was the middle of the night and only three weeks since the end of the war. Shikamaru was still in recovery, while Ino had been cleared and was assisting at the hospital._

_ "You're not stupid, Ino," Shikamaru said, looking at the woman. She wiped her tears and rolled a bit, resting her hands and chin on his chest. Their eyes locked, and he smiled kindly at her, brushing her blonde bangs from her face. "What we all went through...that was hard. And it's okay to feel like the whole world is falling apart."_

_ Ino smiled back at him and closed her eyes, turning her face so her cheek was on his chest. Shikamaru stared up at the ceiling and listened to Ino hum a soft melody. She always hummed when she was trying to calm herself down. A small smile appeared on Shikamaru's lips, and he looked down at Ino. She lifted her hand and slowly traced circles and swirls on his chest. He closed his eyes, enjoying the soothing yet tickling feel of her finger moving across his chest._

_ "I miss him," Ino whispered, her voice nearly breaking as she spoke._

_ Shikamaru looked at the woman, as she shook her head and let more tears fall silently down her cheeks. He frowned, hating to see her in such a state. It was hard to lose a parent, a mentor, friends, and allies. Just as Ino felt heartbroken and sad, Shikamaru felt the same way. He didn't express it or show it the same way she did._

_ "Why'd they have to die, Shikamaru? Why?" she sobbed._

_ He didn't know how to answer that question. Nothing he said would make her feel better. The best he could do is listen to her and comfort her. She sat up from him, and looked at him. His eyes traced the tear trails on her cheeks before he slowly sat up. He had a broken arm, bruised ribs, and a sprained ankle. Compared to most, Shikamaru had gotten off easy._

_ "It isn't fair," Ino whined selfishly, slamming her fist into the mattress. "It isn't...it isn't..." she cried, wiping her tears._

_ Shikamaru pressed his lips together tightly. He agreed with her. It wasn't fair that their father's had to die, that their friends had to die, but that was war. In war, people died, that's just the way it was. He hated that fact, and he hated it even more than he accepted that notion. Perhaps it was his logical side telling him that he didn't get everything he wanted. There was nothing any of them could have done to save HQ. The only option they had was to get up, dust themselves off, and keep fighting. Now that the war had ended and peace was on the rise, they had to keep moving forward._

_ "Listen to me, Ino," Shikamaru said firmly. He reached for her face and turned her to face him. His calloused fingers moved against her velvet like skin. "It isn't fair, you're right. But your dad wouldn't want you dwelling on it. He would want you to pick yourself up and keep living." He leaned forward and pressed his lips against her forehead._

_ His lips lingers there for a moment. Ino closed her eyes and the faintest smile graced her face. When he pulled away, Ino opened her eyes and looked at him. Shikamaru's hands slowly slipped from her face and he laid back against his pillows._

_ "Thank you," Ino smiled._

_ "You'll be okay, Ino," Shikamaru assured her, taking hold of her hand and squeezed it gently. "You have me and Chouji and your mom and our friends." He smiled back at her, and Ino nodded in agreement._

* * *

**:::**

* * *

"You what?" Yoshino, Shikamaru's mother, gaped as she stared at her son at the opposite end of the table. Her son had just informed her of the two offers he had recieved from Tsunade and the other from the fuedal lord. He licked his lips and nodded stiffly as his mother fell into her chair and stared in both disbelief and amazement. It was no surprise that Shikamaru would get such offers, he was a genuis like his father, but he was still so young. She never would have assumed offers like these would come quickly, he wasn't even eighteen. Of course, in the world of shinobi, prodigies were pushed just as hard as their mentors and leaders.

Shikamaru swallowed and circled his white tea cup. "I meant to tell you sooner, but I'm still trying to make sense of it all myself," he explained to her honestly, lifting his tea cup to his mouth. He took a sip and continued, "And, no, I don't know what I'm going to do yet. On a logical stand point, I know what I should do, but for personal reasons...it's all jumbled up." He forced a smile and shrugged his shoulders half-heartedly.

His mother only stared at him. He could see that she was a at a loss for words. When the feudal lord had offered him the position, he was speechless as well. Shikamaru watched his mother as she poured herself some tea. He didn't know what to expect from her, happiness or anger, most typical parents would be happy, but his mother wasn't typical. She was a tough lover, not a caring nuturing one. Yoshino had her moments though, she loved her son and occassionally babied him, especially after the passing of his father.

"So what are you planning on doing? Those are both...wonderful, Shikamaru," Yoshino said with a proud smile, which made Shikamaru stifle a laugh. "I'm proud of you. This is great news, and you are very deserving of it. Your father," she paused for a moment, "he would be so proud of you."

Shikamaru nodded knowingly. "Thanks, mom," he said. "I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet."

"You're an idiot if you think I don't know you have some sort of plan," Yoshino chided with a wave of her finger. Her son chuckled and shook his head, taking another quick sip of his tea. "Thirty days goes fast, you're already nearly a week in. What are you planning?" she pressed, and Shikamaru sighed heavily.

Shikamaru wasn't entirely sure he had a plan. There wasn't really a need for a plan. He had to make a choice, and once it was made he'd have to follow through. No matter what, Shikamaru would not turn back for the decision he made. He wouldn't let anyone change his mind once he informed Tsunade or the feudal lord. All Shikamaru really had was reasons to go with one or the other. And after going through all those reasons, Shikamaru still wasn't sure if going with the feudal lord was a good idea.

"Honestly," Shikamaru began and cleared his throat. "I'm probably going to go with the feudal lord."

Yoshino stared at her son and looked down sadly. "I won't stop you," she assured him with a soft smile, looking up to meet his eyes. "I want you to do what you feel you need to do, even if that means you'll be gone for a while." She got up from her seat and walked around the table to him.

Shikamaru smiled at his mother and stood up, wrapping his arms around her tightly. She kissed his cheek and cupped his face in her hands.

"When are you going to tell them?" she asked.

"Soon," he answered, and his mother frowned. "What?"

"Have you talked to your friends? Particularly Ino?" his mothered inquired with a raised brow. She stepped away from her son and made her way into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the two of them. Shikamaru followed her into the kitchen and leaned against the threshold archway.

"I don't know how to tell her," Shikamaru answered truthfully and rubbed the back of his neck.

"She should know, Shikamaru," Yoshino told him firmly. "You need to tell her."

"I know, and I will," he assured his mother with a weak smile. For the past two days Shikamaru had been mulling over ways to tell Ino, he knew he couldn't keep putting it off. Chouji knew, his mother knew, and now he just had to tell Ino before he told Tsunade that he was going to pass on the offer due to the feudal lord's.

* * *

**:::**

* * *

The night was young and Shikamaru was sitting on the roof of his home. He was staring up at the sky, watching the stars twinkling brightly. He put his hands behind his head and laid back on the roof. The entire dinner had been his mother lecturing him on not telling Ino about his plans. As if he didn't feel bad enough about the decision he was planning to make.

"Did you have fun today?" a cheery voice echoed in his ears. Shikamaru sat up at the sound and looked towards the front of his house that faced the street. He stood up and walked to the other side and looked down at the street.

"Yes!" a child squealed happily. "Look! Shi's home!"

Shikamaru smiled when he realized it was Ino and Mirai, heading back towards Kurenai's house. He watched them for a moment before biting his lip. Part of him said, let them go and the other part of him said go down and talk to them.

"Yes," Ino said as she stopped in front of his home, holding the child in her arms. "That's Shikamaru's house."

"Go see?" Mirai asked with a beaming smile, causing Ino smiled back at her.

"No, we have to get you home. Your mommy is probably worried," Ino told the little girl and continued walking down the street. She stopped when she heard the soft pad of feet landing on the ground.

"Shi!" Mirai cheered gleefully, reaching out to Shikaamru from over Ino's shoulder. The child squirmed, and Ino put her down rather than risking her falling. When the child's sandal covered feet his the ground, she scampered over to Shikamaru and leaped into his arms.

Ino could hear Shikamaru laugh and Mirai babbling about how Ino took her to the park to play on the swings. She hesitated to turn around, but she knew she would have too. Taking in a deep breath, the beautiful blonde spun around on her heels and looked at Shikamaru and Mirai. She smiled weakly at the sight. Ino still didn't really want to face Shikamaru, especially after Sakura told her about Tsunade offering him a position and he hadn't accepted yet. She couldn't help, but wonder how he couldn't have told her yet.

"Hello, Ino," Shikamaru greeted, holding Mirai in his arms. The little girl was clinging to him tightly with her tiny arms wrapped around his neck. Ino knew that Mirai loved Shikamaru, she always loved to play with him and go see him.

"Hi," she replied quietly, brushing her hair behind her ear. "I really have to get her home, we're already ten minutes late." Ino getsured to the young child, who looked at her and shook her head.

"Play Shi!" Mirai exclaimed, looking to him for approval.

"I'll come with you," Shikamaru offered, but Ino started to protest. The shadow user didn't listen though, he just started walking in the direction of Kurenai's home. "You coming?" he asked, glancing back to Ino.

"You really don't have to," Ino tried, but Shikaamru dismissed it and continued walking. The blonde sighed softly and followed behind him. She felt a bit awkward, following a step behind him. Mirai was talking to him, and he was listening and joking with her. A smile crept onto her face as she watched them. She didn't realize Shikamaru had become such a man. He'd really become someone admirable.

"Shi play tomorrow?" Mirai asked as they were walking down the street.

"Sure," Shikamaru agreed with a smile.

"Sissy too?" Mirai asked with sparkling eyes as she looked back to Ino. Shikamaru stopped walking and turned around. Ino looked at the two of them and smiled weakly before agreeing.

"We can go see the deer. Would you like that, Mirai?" Shikamaru asked the child, and gave a side glance at Ino. The little girl loved the idea and clapped her hands together happily. Shikamaru smiled and kissed the little girl's temple, causing Ino's heart to skip. She never would have assumed he'd be so good with children. Of course, when Mirai was a baby, he was always around her.

"Hi! Mommy!" Mirai shouted when they reached Kurenai's apartment building. On the balcony. Kurenai was watering her flowers and looked over at them. She waved to the three of them and put the watering can down to go retrieve her daughter from them.

When Kurenai reached the bottom of the stairs, she beamed at her daughter and reached out for her. Shikamaru handed her over and stepped back, listening as Mirai told her mother they were going to go see the deer tomorrow. Kurenai seemed happy to hear that and looked to both Ino and Shikamaru, noticing the slight tension between them.

"We'll come get her tomorrow at noon?" Shikamaru asked.

"That'll be fine," Kurenai agreed with a single nod. "Say bye, sweetie, it's time for a bath and then bed." The dark haired woman looked at her daughter, who did as she was told. Kurenai looked at Ino and Shikamaru one last time before telling them to have a good evening and walking back to the staircase.

The moment Kurenai and Mirai were out of sight, Shikamaru turned to look at Ino. The blonde was standing beside him quietly with her hands behind her back. It looked as though she was having an internal debated, based on the furrowing of her brows and the twitching of her lips. Shikamaru wondered if she wanted to say something about the night at the park. He licked his lips and tried to speak, but Ino did as well. They both looked at each other, and Shikamaru shook his head, telling Ino to go first.

Ino cleared her throat. "I'm confused, Shikamaru," she said.

"Confused about what?" he asked.

"About you," Ino stated a little more harshly than she intended. She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of the nose. "Why didn't you tell me about Lady Tsunade offering you the position as Head of the Intelligence Unit?"

Shikamaru opened his mouth, but no words came out. He wasn't sure how to explain it to her, nor did he want to explain it to her in the middle of the road outside of Kurenai's apartment complex. He wanted to tell her in a more tactful manner, somewhere more private.

"You aren't...you aren't going to take it...are you?" Ino asked him.

"I don't know," Shikamaru answered truthfully. "That's...it's a huge thing, Ino."

"What aren't you telling me?" Ino asked him.

"Ino," Shikamaru tried, but she snapped at him to tell her the truth. He sighed and rolled his eyes, Ino could be such a hothead. Of all the ways he envisioned this moment going, this was the last way he wanted or hoped it would go.

"We're friends and teammates, Shikamaru," Ino said harshly. "We're supposed to help each other out and be there for each other. I know this is selfish of me, but I told you I don't want to lose another person I love. Perhaps you don't feel the same, but I certainly-"

Shikamaru grabbed Ino and pulled her into his muscled body, pressing his lips gently on hers. Ino fell into complete silence and froze as Shikamaru's lips meshed perfectly with her own. Her eyes slowly closed and she placed her hands on his chest.

She pushed him away and looked at him breathlessly before running away, and leaving Shikamaru standing in the road with his heartbeat racing.


	4. FOUR

**:::**

**Author's Note:** Thank you my lovely readers for supporting this story! Please excuse any errors. xoxo Chrissy

**:::**

**PART FOUR**

**:::**

"Kissing - and I mean like, yummy, smacking kissing - is the most delicious, most beautiful and passionate thing that two people can do, bar none. Better than sex, hands down."

-Drew Barrymore

**:::**

_He leaned against the sandy half wall of the rooftop. It was just another murderously hot afternoon in Suna. He hadn't even been outside for five minutes and he could feel the sweat beading on his skin. How or why people would want to live in such conditions he couldn't fathom. When the wind blew, sand got everywhere. Just walking to the grocery store he got sand everywhere, it was a nightmare. It was days like this that he really felt homesick. He could just imagine his grassy hill, the endless skies with fluffy white clouds, the flowers, the relaxing sounds. His eyes drifted up towards that sun that was packing on the heat. If their were a hell on earth, Suna was it. Shikamaru sputtered and slouched in his stance, using his arms as support on the wall._

_ "Aren't you supposed to be in a meeting?" she asked followed by the sound of a closing door._

_ Shikamaru glanced at her briefly and shrugged his shoulders. The woman chuckled softly and walked over to him. She rested her lower back against the wall and crossed one ankle in front of the other with her elbows laying on the wall to anchor her. Her teal eyes were on him, but he didn't react. It had been a few days since their encounter at the bar. Shikamaru liked Temari, but he would rather keep things completely and irrefutably platonic. Neither one of them had time for such frivilous things to begin with. She was an ambassdor, and as was he._

_ "The feudal lord from the Land of Swamps is intrigued by you," Temari said, looking down at the ground. "I think he may offer you a position."_

_ "Really?" Shikaamru asked flatly. Currently, he just wanted to get back to Konoha. He'd been gone from home for far too long. Three and a half months didn't sound long when it was said, but as time passed, he realized how long it really was. He hadn't even heard from his friends, nor had he written to them either. Shikamaru could only assume Ino would rip his head off for not keep in touch. The idea of it made him smirk._

_ Temari stared at him for a moment and pursed her lips. Shikamaru was something else. She didn't know how or why it happened, but she felt herself becoming attracted to the man. He was obviously smart, he was lazy, not bad looking, and he was always calm and relaxed. In all her time of knowing him, Temari rarely saw Shikamaru Nara riled up. He had the qualities of an excellent leader, and acted beyond his years. She may have been a few years older than him, but sometimes the way he acted made her believe he was much older._

_ "The feudal lord's head of security is stepping down," Temari informed him, pushing off of the wall. "You should consider it."_

_ Shikamaru furrowed his brows and looked at the blonde woman. "What?"_

_ "Just a thought," she said with a smile, and Shikamaru licked his lips. "Didn't your sensei do something similiar with the Land of Fire's fuedal lord?"_

_ Shikamaru nodded his head. His late sensei had done so, in fact even before the war ever started Shikamaru was offered a position as a guard for the Land of Fire's fuedal lord, but he turned the position down. He wasn't sure if the oppurtunity came again that he would turn it down. Shikamaru was at a point in his life when he was trying to straight things out. His life was kind of in shambles and he needed to fix it before it feel apart. He didn't know what it was he wanted to do with his life anymore, he was currently just taking it one day at a time. For most that wouldn't seem like a problem, but he couldn't do that for the rest of his life. Or maybe he could, he always did want to live a simple life. There was nothing simple about the life of a shinobi though. Those childish thoughts he had as a child were blown way away when his sensei died. He may not have ever said it to Asuma, but Shikamaru thought highly of him and knew he could never repay him for the things he taught him._

_ "For what it's worth," Temari began and spun around on her heels to face him, "I think you would be perfect for the job." With those words, Temari winked at him and waved before she walked back to the door. She pulled the door open and looked back at Shikamaru, smiling before disappearing into the building._

_ The door clicked closed and Shikamaru pushed off from the half wall. He hopped onto the wall and sat down, letting his legs dangle over the edge of the building. Shikamaru closed his eyes and lifted his face towards the sky. The Land of Swamps was about a two day journey towards the northern border. Meaning he'd be roughly five days from Konoha if he went to the Land of Swamps. Not that he was considering sucha thing, the feudal lord hadn't even said anything to him._

_ "Master Shikamaru," a masculine voice filled his ears. The shadow user furrowed his brows and slowly turned to the speaker. No one had ever addressed him as 'Master Shikamaru' before, and it was a little weird._

_ "Koji Hiwatari," Shikamaru said with a chuckle. Life was so ironis sometimes. The lithe man with bare arms that bore dozens of faded scars bowed humbly to him. Koji Hiwatari was the Land of Swamps head of security. He had short cut hair that was brushed towards the center of his head in a mohawk like fashion. It was dark in color and very thick, contrasting brilliantly against his pale complexion._

_ "Lord Ryuhei wishes to speak with you this evening," Koji said as he straightened up, showing his six foot height. If Shikemaru were being honest, he'd hate to fight Koji. Though the man was tall, he was nimble and undeniably fast. In fact, on the day of Lord Ryuhei's arrival, Koji and a sand shinobi got into a friendly sparing match. In less than two minutes, Koji had dominated the playing field and took out the sand shinobi without even breaking a sweat._

_ "Do you know what about?" Shikamaru asked curiously, not that he would refuse. It would be rude to refuse dinner with a feudal lord, even if he was in a sense a nobody. One day Lord Ryuhei would be a great leader of a small country that provided much of the medicines and herbs medic-nin use._

_ "I do, but I cannot speak of it," Koji replied with a small apologetic nod._

_ Shikamaru turned around and placed his feet on the ground. When he stood, he shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at Koji for a moment. "Rumor has it you're stepping down as the head of secuity for Lord Ryuhei, is that true?"_

_ "That's the rumor," Koji answered with a smirk, which caused Shikamaru to chuckle and shake his head. "Will you come, Master Shikamaru?" Koji pressed, looking at Shikamaru with piercing blue eyes that match Ino's in clarity._

_ "Just call me Shikamaru, Koji," the genuis said._

_ "My apologies."_

_ "I'll attend," Shikamaru told him with a single nod. _

_Koji smiled slightly and nodded in confirmation. "Six o'clock at the Ikeda Cafe."_

* * *

**:::**

* * *

Shikamaru hadn't gotten a wink of sleep last night. He spent most of the night tossing and turning as Ino's voice flooded his mind. He kept hearing her words about how she didn't want to lose anymore people that she loved. All of that aside, the real thing keeping him awake was that kiss. Shikamaru wasn't sure what had possessed him to do such a thing, but for the briefest moment in that kiss, he could have sworn Ino kissed him back. The lazy genuis opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling for a few moments.

The first few times his mind played it in his mind, he thought it was just a dream. Ino was his friend, one of his best friends, someone he'd known since they were in diapers. She bullied him when she grew an annoying and ridiculous infatuation with Sasuke Uchiha. He remembered when she would prattle on about how cool and handsome he was. The thought made his blood boil a bit. Ino deserved much better than that cold-hearted, no good, self-involved, narcissist. In Shikamaru's honest opinion, he'd rather see Ino with Kiba or Sai before he saw her with Sasuke. The Uchiha may have been turning over a new leaf, but Ino was too good for him.

Sighing, Shikamaru sat up in his bed and bent his knees. He rested his arms on them and raked his fingers through his long dark locks. Even though the kiss had happened ten hours ago, Shikamaru could still feel her lips on his. They had been so soft, supple, and warm. He almost wished she hadn't had pushed away. The genuis huffed and shook his head, scolding himself for even thinking such things. Ino was his teammate and that was all she wrote. It was just an impulse, he just wanted to make her stop. Shikamaru rubbed his face with his hands and cursed under his breath before falling back on his bed. The feelings bubbling inside of him were displeasing and irritating.

_Ino is your friend and teammate. Stop it already, Shikamaru! Just stop!_ he thought harshly, closing his eyes for a few seconds before opening them again. His warm brown eyes glanced over at the clock on his nightstand. The genuis rolled his eyes were he saw that it was barely six in the morning. Shikaamru gently slapped his cheeks with his hands and pulled the covers from his body.

_You know what's eating you up, it isn't the kiss. It's that you're lying to your friend, to all your friends really, _Shikamaru thought to himself as he walked over to the window. _It's not the kiss, the kiss was just a gesture...a pre-apology before you drop the bomb on her._

He opened the window and let in some fresh air, hoping that would clear his mind. Much to his disappointment, it didn't help at all. Ino and the kiss; that was all he could think about. The way she felt against him, he'd held her close before, but never in an intimate way.

_Troublesome girl, _Shikamaru thought with a shake of his head. He plopped down at the foot of his bed and cradled his head in his hands. His long hair fell around his face as he sat their in silence with the crisp spring air slipping in through his window. Shikamaru swallowed hard and let his hands fall from his head. He would take a nice hot shower, get dressed, and go talk to the Hokage. After he told her about Lord Ryuhei's offer, he would talk to Ino. He would tell her tonight, when it was just the two of them. He'd give her a great afternoon with Mirai, and then he would just rip the bandaid right off. It was time to tell her before he did something even more irrational than kissing her, but something inside of him told him that kissing Ino was anything, but irrational.

The shower had helped a little bit, but it didn't make the thoughts of Ino or the kiss leave his mind. As the water washed over his muscled shoulders, Shikamaru put his hand on the wall of the shower and let his head hang. His eyes were closed and he kept seeing flashes of Ino. Straightening up, the shadow user shut off the water and reached for his towel. As he patted himself dry, Shikamaru wondered if Ino was thinking about it as much as he was. He wondered if she had been up all night, tossing and turning, remembering the feeling of their lips touching, the heat of their bodies pressing together, and the feeling of their blood pulsing.

Never in his life did Shikamaru imagined he'd touch Ino in such a way. He just hadn't been thinking straight, he didn't want Ino to be upset, he didn't want her to think she'd lose him. It would be impossible for such a thing to happen, he and Chouji would forever and always be there for Ino. She was upset, he knew that. Ino feared the worst, she always went to worse case scenerio, and never thought about the good that could be. Ever since the death of her father and the ravages of war, Ino rarely looked on the bright side of things.

Shikamaru walked back into his bedroom and opened his closet. He grabbed a fresh dark green t-shirt and slipped it on before grabbing a pair of black pants. The clock read that it was 6:30am. After he got his pants on, Shikamaru sat on the foot of his bed and robotically combed his hair into his signature ponytail. Thoughts of what would happen to Ino if he left to the Land of Swamps started to flood his mind. She would be upset, and she would probably cry and swear she'd never forgive him for leaving. Or maybe she would say nothing at all, and that would be worse. Shikamaru would rather she scream and yell than silently let him go.

"You're up early," Yoshino said when Shikamaru stepped out of his room.

"Couldn't sleep," he admitted with a small shrug. "I'll be back tonight." He walked over to his mother and kissed her forehead before slipping out of the hallway. His mother watched him curiously, wondering what could be troubling her son. She knew that he wasn't really the type to dwell on anything.

"Shikamaru," she called out gently as she walked to the end of the hall. Yoshino smiled warmly as he stood up after putting on his shoes. "Are you alright?" she asked, even though she knew he would never tell him anything other than he was perfectly fine.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he answered with small smile and walked out of the apartment before she had the chance to press the matter. When the door clicked closed, Yoshino frowned and wandered to the kitchen. She knew Shikamaru would do the right thing.

The streets of Konoha were still silent. Most people didn't start moving around until seven. Had he been able to sleep, he probably wouldn't have even bothered waking until after eight. Unfortunately, his mind was vindictive. It was like his subconscious was fighting with him. He only assumed that because of the kiss, and how it plagued his mind. What bothered him most of all; he wanted to do it again.

His walk was not as relaxing as he'd hoped prior to leaving his home. It was depressing to him that he was technically on a vacation, but had way too much to think about. On some level, Shikamaru just wanted to go sit on his grassy knoll all day long and forget about everything and everyone. Not that he could do that to Mirai, she'd be so disappointed. She loved to go see the deer.

Not even ten minutes later, Shikamaru found himself outside of the Hokage's Tower. He stared at it for a moment, wondering if Tsunade would still be there if he left to the Land of Swamps. She had mentioned on a few occassions that she had had enough and was ready to have someone succeed her. Half the time she said it with a small laugh and a wave of her hand, but everyone knew that she was tired. Shikamaru sighed softly and began the trek up the stairs that led to the top where the Hokage's office was. He wasn't sure if she'd be there yet, but he could wait if she wasn't.

Just as he reached the top, Shikamaru stopped when he saw Shizune walking out. The woman with the short black hair stopped and looked suprised to see Shikamaru. She quickly hid her surprise and smiled, greeting him politely with a small bow. Shikamaru returned the gesture and cleared his throat.

"Did you come to a decision?" Shizune asked hopefully.

Shikamaru hesitated for a moment. "Not exactly," he replied, which caused Shizune to furrow her brows. "Is Lady Tsunade in?" he asked, changing the subject before she could question him.

Shizune nodded her head and stepped aside, allowing him into the main hall. "She's in her office, probably not working," the black haired woman rolled her eyes and chuckled before she excused herself and ventured down the stairwell.

Shikamaru shook his head and stifled a laugh. Shizune was always getting on Tsunade for not working enough. The hall was quiet, it appeared that no one had yet arrived for missions. In a way, Shikamaru was happy about that. It meant Tsunade would not be distracted, and she wouldn't yet be annoyed. Up ahead, Shikamaru spotted her office door and told himself he had to tell her. It was the right time, after all he was pretty certain he knew which he would choose. He had little doubt Tsunade would be able to change his mind. She may not even want to change his mind to begin with.

Raising his hand, Shikamaru gently knocked on the door. He heard Tsunade call from the other side and entered. When he stepped into the room, Tsunade looked up from the scroll she was reading and tilted her head curious. She nodded to him and greeted him. Shikamaru closed the door quietly and stuffed his hands into his pockets as he walked towards her desk. He stood in the center of the room and greeted her back.

"What brings you here so early? You're supposed to be on vacation," she said to him, grabbing her brush and dipped it into the ink. As she signed her name, Shikamaru pressed his lips together and figured he should just tell her. He didn't want to beat around the bush, it wouldn't get him anywhere.

"I came to tell you something, Lady Tsunade," Shikamaru replied, and the woman gave him a curious look.

"Have you come to a decision?" Tsunade inquired, looking hopeful. She put her brush down on her desk and looked at him expectantly. Her amber eyes studied him closely, and soon her hopeful look faded into confusion. Shikamaru was shaking his head, and Tsunade bit her lip. The busty woman leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I recieved another offer from Lord Ryuhei in the Land of Swamps," Shikamaru explained, which caused Tsunade's eyes to widened in surprise. She had met the young lord on a few occassions, the Land of Swamps was a small country and were in the middle of a reform. They were mostly known for their medicines and skilled medical shinobi. When Tsunade was younger she spent a year in that land studying different plants and herbs.

"Are you planning on taking that offer instead?" Tsunade asked.

Shikamaru looked down at the ground and rubbed the back of his neck. "Honestly," he swallowed, "I believe I am."

Tsunade nodded slowly, but smiled anyways. "I know you feel as though you are not ready to take on such a huge position, but in it's own right even the offer Lord Ryuhei gave will prove to be quite the task."

"He wishes me to be his head of secuity and advisor while he rebuilds his lands," Shikamaru explained to her.

"That's quite an honor," Tsunade told him. "Excellent work, Shikamaru. The Land of Swamps has been a vital part in the rehibilitation of many Leaf shinobi." She uncrossed her arms and leaned forward on her desk, eyeing him closely.

"It'll be a two year contract," Shikamaru informed her.

Tsunade nodded in understanding. "Perhaps by that time you will be ready to take over the Intelligence Division."

"Maybe," Shikamaru agreed with a smile.

"It seems only fair I tell you something important," Tsunade said, and Shikamaru furrowed his brows in confusion. "I will be stepping down as Hokage at the end of the year."

The shadow user's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't expected her to divulge that sort of information to him. Shikamaru wasn't even sure what to say to her.

"Kakashi will succeed me," Tsunade added in, and Shikamaru smirked. "He too believes that you will one day be the Head of Intel just like your father before you."

* * *

**:::**

* * *

Chouji's mouth fell open. His eyes looked as if they were about to bulge out of his head and he nearly dropped his bag of chips. The food lover shook his head and licked his lips as he stared at Shikamaru. Of all the things Chouji Akimichi expected to hear Shikamaru say, that was the furthest thing from his mind. In fact, he was so sure that he heard Shikamaru wrong, he asked him to say it one more time. When Shikamaru obliged, Chouji only shook his head and scoffed. There was no way, hell would have frozen over...twice before Chouji would believe that Shikamaru kissed Ino. She was the beautiful blonde haired kuniochi that everyone loved. Ino was a loud mouth and a gossip, she loved flowers, she loved romance, she loved being swept off her feet, all of which Shikamaru was too lazy to be.

Ino Yamanaka was the girl that was everyone's type. Any man who didn't know what their type was or claimed they didn't have one would see her and shout 'found it!' because that was just the beautiful florist. Growing up, many guys always fawned over Ino. The blue-eyed babe only had eyes for Sasuke Uchiha though, who could careless about her. Chouji and Shikamaru always just seemed to be stuck with her. Not like they had much of a choice since their dads were friends. Even though she annoyed both of them from time to time both of them undeniably loved Ino for everything she was and could be.

"Ino? Ino Yamanaka? Long blonde hair, pretty blue eyes, perfect skin, way too into her looks, works at the flower shop...that Ino?" Chouji questioned, staring at Shikamaru who was sitting on the bench beside him. The shadow user was hunched over with his elbows on his knees and his head hanging between his shoulders. Chouji bit his lip and looked away, sputtering a bit. "I...just...how? Why?" his best friend asked, shaking his head clearly confused how it could happen.

There was a time when they were all young and wondered if one day one of them would be with Ino. Chouji always said that she was pretty, but way to bossy for him. Shikamaru always said that she was just too troublesome all together. They were just kids though. It was an entirely different playing field now. They understood feelings and attractions and how horomones made them do stupid things. Shikamaru would almost blame his horomones for possessing him to kiss Ino. He mentally kicked himself for making it out to be a bad thing. The bad thing was that he kissed her and wasn't sure if it was just to shut her up and stop her from crying, or maybe because somewhere inside there were feelings.

It wasn't like he didn't think about Ino often. She was always on his mind. The smell of her lavender shampoo, the sound of her laugh, the light of her smile, and the kindness in her heart. Shikamaru never forgot those things about Ino, they haunted him on a daily basis. Even when he was in Suna for those long four months, Ino crossed his mind at least once a day. At first he just assumed it was because they were always around each other. Since they were kids, Ino and Shikamaru and Chouji played together, went to school together, practiced together, went on missions together, attended festivals together, they were always together. Now that he thought about it though, he realized that he didn't think of Chouji very often. Of course, Chouji wasn't exactly his type. Shikamaru liked the womanly type, and Chouji was most certainly a man.

"Do you have feelings for Ino?" Chouji asked.

Shikamaru sat up and shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't even sure what that really meant. Of course, he had some sort of feelings for Ino, but was it because he wanted to be with her. He had never truly given it much thought.

"So if she just strolled by right now with Sai or Sasuke, would you get jealous?" Chouji asked with a raised brow as he opened up his bag of chips.

Shikamaru thought about it for a moment and sighed. "Maybe. I don't really know." He rubbed the back of his neck and looked up at the sky. "I'm seeing her later. Mirai wanted us to take her to go see the deer."

"Are you going to say anything?" Chouji asked.

"I don't know," Shikamaru answered.

"Would you want to...date her?"

Shikamaru looked at Chouji with a dubious stare.

"I mean, maybe you guys are meant to be. We've all been friends so long, we know everything about each other. So why not?" Chouji asked with a small shrug before popping a chip into his mouth. After he chewed he looked at Shikamaru, who seemed to be having an internal debate. "Does this change things?"

"I don't know," Shikamaru groaned as he buried his face in his hands. This was not supposed to happen this way. He wasn't supposed to suddenly realize he may very well have feelings for Ino. In another three weeks, he'd be leaving to the Land of Swamps for two years. He would be lucky if Ino spoke to him ever again.

"You don't know a lot," Chouji chuckled.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Not about this."

"Do you think she has feelings for you?"

"She...she didn't push away until a little while later...but she did run afterwards," Shikamaru explained and shook his head. This was all too much for him, he didn't want to play games. Of course, it's not like it was all Ino's fault. She didn't do anything, he was the one who started the kiss, and he was the one who wasn't sure about his feelings. "If she does..." he trailed off and Chouji frowned.

"What are you going to do? Are you still going to take the feudal lord's offer?" Chouji asked.

"Yes," Shikamaru answered truthfully. "I am."

* * *

**:::**

* * *

Suprisingly, it wasn't awkward between Ino and Shikamaru. It might have been because they had Mirai keeping them fairly occupied. The child was in that babbling stage where she talked and asked questions. Shikamaru was actually greatful for that, he didn't want it to be awkward with Ino. The blonde hadn't really said much to him at all, maybe a sentence here and there to keep it casual. At the moment, Ino was sitting in the middle of a flowering meadow, watching Mirai petting one of the Nara clan's deer. Shikamaru was standing beside her, watching Mirai with a small smile on his face. He had to admit he was going to miss Mirai and Ino a lot while he was gone. Shikamaru looked down at the ground, wondering how he could tell either of them such a thing.

"She's so happy," Ino said with a smile and laugh as a deer laid beside Mirai and allowed her to hug his neck. "It's a perfect day." The blonde brushed her hair behind her ear and looked up at Shikamaru. He glanced down at her and smiled warmly, nodding in agreement as he sat down beside her.

Shikamaru wasn't sure if he should just pretend the kiss never happened, or if he should apologize. Not that he wanted to do either. His brown eyes drifted over to Ino. He looked at her soft pink lips that were like rose petals. When she looked at him, Shikamaru looked away and turned his attention to Mirai as she laughed when a deer nuzzled her.

"Shikamaru," Ino said softly.

He looked at her and their eyes met. For some reason, Shikamaru's breath hitched in his throat and his heart started to beat a little faster. The blonde woman beside him looked down at the flowers beside her and she toyed with the soft petals.

"Last night," she began, and looked back at him before continuing, "I...I'm sorry that I...ranway. I should have stayed." She swallowed, and Shikamaru's eyes widened in surprise. He didn't see that coming at all, in fact he expected her to reprimand him for it. What caught him even more off guard was Ino had a very faint blush on her cheeks.

He opened his mouth to speak, but he didn't really know what to say to her.

"You surprised me," Ino admitted and started picking petals off of flowers, letting them blow away in the spring breeze. Shikamaru stared at her feeling like a complete idiot. He kept drawing blanks in his head.

"Is that...a good thing?" he asked, hoping that it was. She didn't appear mad, if anything she appeared a bit bashful. That wasn't like Ino at all, she was always so brave and straightforward.

"Uh," she stifled a laugh. "I'm still deciding." She turned to face him, and her blue eyes widened when she realized they were so close. Ino swallowed and looked at Shikamaru's lips and then back to his eyes. He was just a few inches from her face, he could smell her sweet perfume. Shikamaru quickly caught himself and cleared his throat. He leaned back on his elbows and gave a sideway glance at Ino, who seemed a bit flustered.

"Ino..." Shikamaru began and turned his attention back to her for a brief moment. "I have to tell you something."

She gave him a curious look. "Tell me what?"

At that very moment, the way she looked in the sunlight, the clarity of her blue eyes, the pinkness of her lips, and the gold of her hair, Shikamaru wanted to turn down the offer to the feudal lord. He just wanted to stay with Ino, he wanted to forget about it all and just enjoy her company. He owed it to himself, they actually owed it to each other to see if there was or could ever be anything between them. From friendship blossoms a beautiful romance. Ino had those very words pinned to a bulletin near the vanity in her room.

"Shika?" Ino prompted.

He looked into her eyes and smiled a genuine and caring smile. "It's been a while since you've called me that," he pointed out, sitting up a little straighter.

"Yeah," Ino replied with a single nod as a blush came to her cheeks. "What was it that you wanted to tell me?" She licked her lips, giving them the smallest hint of a shine.

For whatever reason, Shikamaru couldn't tell her any longer. He knew he had too because at this moment he may not want to leave her, but when the time came to answer to Lord Ryuhei, he knew he would go.

His jaw clenched a bit as he argued with himself internally. If he didn't tell Ino now, it would only get worse. She had to know that he would be leaving for two years. At the same time though, he hadn't made the decision. Maybe just for one more day, he could just forget everything and be with the two girls he loved most, aside from his own mother.

"Right," Shikamaru chuckled and shook his head. "I wanted to tell you that..." he trailed off and Ino raised a brow at him.

"Sissy! Shi!" Mirai shouted, causing the two to look at her. She came toddling over with a large deer with massive antlers trailing behind her. When the little girl reached the two, she plopped down in Ino's lap and giggled.

Ino laughed as well and grabbed the little girl, sitting her more comfortably. Shikamaru smiled as Mirai told Ino about the deer and the silly little names she'd given all of them. The large deer that had followed them over stood beside him. He lifted his hand and gently stroked the deer's face before he departed. As the deer trotted off, Shikamaru looked back to Ino and Mirai. Looking at the two of them, laughing and pointing at the different deer and trees and flowers, made Shikamaru never want to leave.

"Why don't you pick some flowers for your mommy?" Ino suggested, standing Mirai up. The little girl agreed and skipped off to pick some wildflowers that were blooming all over the meadow. "Silly little thing," Ino chuckled before looking back at Shikamaru. "You were saying?"

"I really missed you," Shikamaru said. "More than I thought I would."

Ino blinked a few times. "In a good way or bad way?"

Shikamaru reached over and brushed Ino's bangs from her face, revealing her sky blue eyes. He smirked at her and for whatever reason, he leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers. Both of their unsteady breaths mixed together as their lips slowly started closing in. Ino's eyes slowly closed, and just when the desire and longing of Shikamaru's lips became too much, his lips met hers. The warmth of his mouth on hers sent shock waves up her spine down to her toes and through her fingers.

Shikamaru couldn't resist it anymore. He thought that before it was just an impulse, the only way he could silence her. This time, this kiss was one of passion and desire. The feelings inside of him were stirring. People were mistaken when they said their were butterflies; Shikamaru felt an entire jungle inside. Ino's touch was so gently, so warm and inviting, her scent was intoxicating, and her soft moans against his lips excited him.

He gently pushed Ino back, laying her on the lush green grass. Her arms encirled his neck as he partially laid his body on hers. Shikamaru didn't expect Ino to kiss him back, but when he pulled away slightly she went in for another kiss.

"Sissy!" Mirai shouted.

Shikamaru and Ino quickly pulled apart and looked at Mirai standing to the left of them.

"Sissy, you got Shi cooties!" Mirai exclaimed.

The two teenagers started laughing as Mirai looked at them in shock. Shikamaru pushed off of Ino and looked at Mirai.

"Shi cooties?" he asked as he stood up and dusted himself off. The little girl nodded her head and watched as he turned to look at her. "I think you need some too." Mirai gasped and started laughing as Shikamaru ran after her and scooped her up into his arms. She tried to squirm free, asking her Sissy to save her.

The blonde started laughing and got up and ran over to them. She quickly started tickling Mirai, who screamed and laughed even harder. The two finally stopped to let Mirai catch her breath. Shikamaru adjusted his hold on her and kissed her forehead. The child giggled and hugged him tight. The shadow user laughed lightly and rubbed the little girl's back. His brown eyes drifted to Ino, who was standing before them with her hand clasped together by her head.

"Come on girls," Shikamaru said as he put an arm around Ino's slender waist. "Let's go get some lunch."

As they started walking back towards the village, Shikamaru looked at the child in his arms and the woman by his side. How was he ever going to leave them?


	5. FIVE

**:::**

**Author's Note:** Only one more part before we venture into the two year time gap…who's excited? Thanks for all your support! I apologize for any typos or errors you may come across. xoxo chrissy

**:::**

**PART FIVE**

**:::**

"Growing apart doesn't change the fact that for a long time we grew side by side; our roots will always be tangled. I'm glad for that."

-Ally Condie

**:::**

Chouji slapped a hand onto his forehead and shook his head slowly. He knew Shikamaru would chicken out. There was that gut-wrenching feeling that told him Shikamaru just wouldn't do it. Chouji knew that it wasn't anything personal, but Ino would take it personally regardless. She would be upset that he waited so long to tell her the truth. Not that Shikamaru was really lying to her, he just wasn't sure all the details of his life. And Ino frowned upon that kind of thing. She always had to be in the know, she was Konoha's biggest gossip after all. This was a serious matter though, Shikamaru could potentially be gone and out of contact with them for two years. Ino wouldn't take that lightly at all, Chouji knew that and Shikamaru knew that.

Shikamaru wanted to tell her. He thought about all the different ways he could and about all the different outcomes. None of them were good though, so he just let it be. The entire day he spent with Mirai and Ino, he didn't bring it up once. The lazy genius didn't so much as mention it or hint at it. That whole day, Shikamaru had spent wondering if he could leave them. Obviously, he didn't want to leave them, however that wasn't the question. The real question was could he handle leaving them for two whole years? Could he handle leaving everything he knew for two years?

It was just a job, something that could give him experience. He would come back. He wouldn't be gone forever, just for a little while. Of course, Chouji continuously pointed out that two years wasn't simply 'a little while' it was long. His chubby friend broke if down for him: 2 years was 730 days, 104 weeks, and 24 months. Shikamaru was sure he would have calculated hours if he would have let him. Needless to say, Shikamaru concurred with Chouji two years was a long time. In two years, Mirai would be almost five...and all his friends would be around twenty. He could potentially miss a lot, but if he didn't go he could miss a lot of valuable experiences.

"You have to tell her like soon, today preferably," Chouji chided, waving a finger at Shikamaru. They were both standing on a wooden bridge not far from the market area of Konoha. The sun was beaming down brightly, the spring air was fresh and crisp, and the water down below shimmered beautiful in the sunlight. All around them flowers were in full bloom and the trees were budding with blossoms and bright green leaves. Shikamaru had to admit that he'd miss seeing the springs in Konoha.

"I know, I know," Shikamaru huffed, leaning on the railing. He folded his arms along the rails and rested his chin on them. His dark brown eyes watched the water, seeing a few pink and white blossom petals float on by.

"It's been ten days since you've gotten back," Chouji pointed out to him. "That means you have like twenty days before you leave."

"I don't know how to tell her," Shikamaru grumbled.

"Tell her at the Spring Festival tomorrow night," Chouji suggested with a shrug. "You know she's going to make you go, so it's the perfect chance."

Shikamaru scoffed. "Yeah, I don't think Ino would take it very well if I ruined her favorite festival of the year by saying I'm leaving for two years and forgot to mention it." The lazy genius pushed away from the rail and looked up at the sky. The white fluffy clouds floated on by with no destination and no problems. He missed the days he used to just dream about being a cloud. Life wasn't that simple though, as he soon came to find out.

"Don't say 'forgot' cause that will just make her angry. Just tell her the truth, you didn't know how to tell her, but you're telling her now. That's probably your best bet." Chouji clapped his friend on the shoulder and smiled brightly. "Anyways, I'm late for my lunch date with Ayame. Good luck, just tell her. And soon." With that, Chouji left his friend to ponder by himself.

Shikamaru nodded his head and sighed. If only it were so simple. Maybe he could write it down for her in a letter and give it to her that way. He snickered at the thought, Ino would probably kill him for telling her in a letter versus in person and to her face. While he could probably spend hours coming up with ways to tell Ino, it all came down to one thing: telling her sooner rather than later. He couldn't keep putting it off, because if she found out some other way it'd be horrible.

"Careful, Shikamaru," Sakura Haruno said as she walked up. "If you keep scowling like that your face is going to be permanently stuck that way." She giggled at her own words and came to a stop beside him.

"That's a definite possibility," Shikamaru replied with a small laugh.

Sakura smiled at him and raised a brow. "Something wrong? Is it about the offer?"

"Something like that," Shikamaru said, trying to remain discreet. He couldn't tell Sakura about Lord Ryuhei's offer otherwise she'd tell Ino. That couldn't happen, Ino had to hear it from him. The whole reason he's been so secretive is to prevent Ino from discovering it any other way.

Sakura nodded her head in understanding. "Well," she began and he looked at her as she brushed a pink strand behind her ear and continued, "I think that you should do what you want. Forget about everything else and just do what you want and what feels right to you. That's the best thing to do."

"That's what my mom told me," Shikamaru said with a smile. "Thanks, Sakura."

"Why do I get the feeling it's more than just the offer?" Sakura probed her green eyes watching him curiously. It wasn't like he didn't trust Sakura not to tell people, but she and Ino were close. If he divulged any information, Ino would know it before the day was over. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad though, seeing as that he didn't think he could tell Ino to begin with. He had no idea why he was so scared to tell her. Was it because he was afraid that she would be mad and upset? Maybe it was because he didn't want to hurt her. After what Ino had said about not wanting to lose anymore people, it made things harder for him.

Perhaps he should just take Sakura's advice and do what he wanted and what felt right to him. Of course, breaking Ino's heart wouldn't exactly feel right to him, nor did he want to do that. It was at that moment that Shikamaru realized that Ino was more than just a best friend to him. She wasn't merely family either, or someone special. Ino Yamanaka was someone he loved and cherished, and her opinion mattered to him. But he also feared that she would ask him to stay, and he didn't want too. If he stayed because of her, it could ruin things down the road.

"Some things happened in Suna, and I'm just trying to...get my ducks in a row," Shikamaru explained to the pinkette, who was staring at him with slight confusion evident on her face. He had been silent for two whole minutes after all.

"What kind of things?" Sakura pressed.

Shikamaru licked his lips. He was digging a grave. Sakura was probably thinking it had to do with Temari. Everyone always assumed that the two of them liked each other. And at one point, Shikamaru did like the Sand Princess, but now she was just a good friend. Temari might have liked him more and wanted more, but this last trip he made it perfectly clear their relationship would remain strictly platonic. She did seem hurt a little by that notion, but she was a strong woman and kept her distance from him.

"Not that things you're assuming," Shikamaru countered before Sakura could start jumping to conclusions, though she probably already had. "Let's just put it this way, I have things to think about and I don't know what I think about these things just yet."

Sakura blinked a few times. "Even though I'm not sure what happened or what's going on, I will ask one question," Sakura said, holding up a single finger. "What do you want right here and right now?"

Shikamaru stared into her green eyes. The moment that question came out of her mouth, Shikamaru knew the answer.

"Let that answer be the reason you do whatever it is you do," Sakura said with a smile.

Shikamaru sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. He had to tell her the truth, because what he wanted now and what he needed to do were very conflicting. "I received an offer from a feudal lord to act as both his advisor and guard," Shikamaru explained and Sakura's eyes widened in surprise. "I'm going to accept his offer and already turned down Lady Tsunade's. The thing is, you asked me what I wanted right here and right now? Well, I want to stay here with Ino and Mirai and everyone else. But taking the feudal lord's offer...that is something I need to do."

Sakura was silent for a moment, but her green eyes remained on the shadow user. Many times she had been in that debate of what she wanted and what she needed. That was a conversation she would rather not have. When she looked at Shikamaru as he spoke, Sakura could see this glow and even nervousness. A small smile came onto her face as she realized that Shikamaru was in love with her best friend. Unfortunately, Shikamaru didn't seem to realize that was why he was struggling so much with his decision.

"I want you to be honest when I ask you this, can you do that?" Sakura asked, titling her head slightly.

"Yeah," Shikamaru agreed, nodding a few times.

"Are you in love with Ino?"

That was a loaded question, but the first word that popped into his head was _yes._ When Chouji had asked him a few days ago, he wasn't sure. After the day he spent with Ino and Mirai, after that second kiss in the meadow. Shikamaru found that he had fallen in love for his teammate and long time childhood friend. He looked away from Sakura and pressed his lips together. The pinkette beside him stifled a laugh and leaned on the bridge railing beside him.

"I think she is too," Sakura admitted, and Shikamaru turned to look at her. She nodded her head and ran her fingers through her hair. "Surely the two of you saw this coming." Her green eyes bore into his brown ones.

"I don't think-"

"Yes, you do," Sakura said with a small chuckle. The two were friends for a long time and had been through so much together. In time they were bound to have feelings for one another. "And it's good." Sakura patted him on the shoulder, and Shikamaru raised a brow at her curiously.

"I'm going to be leaving," Shikamaru said, and Sakura nodded knowingly. "How is this good in any way?" he asked.

"If Ino feels the way I think she does, she'll understand," Sakura assured him with a small smile. It wasn't exactly comforting though. Shikamaru knew Ino wouldn't stop him from leaving, she would never do something like that. At the same time though, Shikamaru knew that she would ask him to stay. And when he told her that he had to leave, she would cry. Those tears would fall silently.

* * *

**:::**

* * *

_"Why me?" Shikamaru inquired as he sat across from Lord Ryuhei. They had met nearly an hour ago and for the longest time, Ryuhei had been keeping the conversations casual and light. He mused about the Suna desert and palavered about his home in the Land of Swamps. Shikamaru listened closely, studying his mannerisms, his tone of voice, and the tact in his voice. Lord Ryuhei was younger than most feudal lords, in fact most were well into their fifties, but not Ryuhei. The man was only thirty years of age and happened upon the ruling when his father was ruthlessly murdered._

_ Shikamaru didn't know much about Ryuhei other than he was analytical and everything he did had a purpose. There was no ill-will from the man at all, in fact he was kind and humble. He didn't desire money, nor did he desire power. The only thing the young lord wanted was peace and prosperity for his people. In that light, Shikamaru found Ryuhei to be endearing and respectable. Many spoke highly of the young lord sense he had come into power not long after the Fourth Shinobi World War. He built his reputation by lending skilled medical shinobi to the war ridden areas. If it weren't for Lord Ryuhei and his people many more good people could have been lost._

_ Lord Ryuhei pour himself more tea and brought the full cup to his nose. He took a whiff of the fragrant liquid and let out a refreshed breath before taking a small sip. Shikamaru raised a brow as Ryuhei put his cup back down and looked at the shadow user. Ryuhei had eyes that were a rich gold, very alluring and captivating. People always talked about the man with the golden eyes, saying he could calm even the unruliest of people with a single glance. Shikamaru couldn't deny those words at all. When Ryuhei's gold eyes pierced his brown ones, Shikamaru found himself frozen in place._

_ "May I ask you a question, Shikamaru?" Lord Ryuhei asked, leaning back in his seat._

_ Shikamaru blinked a few times. "Sure," he said with a single nod._

_ "Would you rather be crushed by a building falling on you or would you rather have 1000 elephants run over you?" Lord Ryuhei inquired, which made Shikamaru furrow his brows. Of all the questions he anticipated, Shikamaru did not see that one coming at all. He wasn't even sure if the question really had a point, but Lord Ryuhei must have asked it for a reason._

_ "Why are you asking me such a strange question?" Shikamaru asked the man, who only chuckled and took another sip of his tea._

_ "Just answer the question," Lord Ryuhei said, and Shikamaru sighed._

_ "One elephant a thousand times or one thousand elephants at once?" Shikamaru questioned._

_ Lord Ryuhei chuckled. "Does it matter?"_

_ "Yes," Shikamaru replied with a single nod. "A building falling on me would kill me in an instant, meaning my life would be over and I would have felt no pain. By the same token, I would be leaving my friends and family behind. If it is one elephant one thousand times, I could potentially escape and remain alive."_

_ "That's why I chose you," Lord Ryuhei said with a smile, and Shikamaru furrowed his brows in confusion. "Though the question is strange it proves to me that you would rather fight for more solutions that taking the easier route. This leads me to believe you are willing to cast a wider net for outcomes and reasons rather than believing there is only one way to do things. That, Shikamaru, is a very good quality of a leader. You are rational for someone so young, you are esteemed by your fellow shinobi, and you are a prodigy among your clan members. I would be a fool to not try." The young lord took another sip of his tea after his explanation and stared at Shikamaru, who seemed at a loss for words._

_ "You should be in our Torture and Interrogation Unit," Shikamaru jested._

_ Ryuhei laughed lightly and waved the matter off. "I know that what I am asking is a lot," he said, and Shikamaru agreed with him. "That is why I am going to give you some time to think. You'll be returning home soon, right?"_

_ "Yes, I leave in a week," Shikamaru responded._

_ "Very well then," Ryuhei said. "I will be visiting Konoha in about a months time. Take that time to make a decision and speak with your friends and family. Remember, you will be gone from your home for two years. Do not feel obligated to take this opportunity, do what you must."_

_ Shikamaru nodded stiffly as he thought about the different options. On the one hand, Ryuhei was offering one heck of an opportunity, but on the other hand it cost him his home and friends. "I will definitely think about it," the shadow user assured the gentlemen, who smiled and nodded once in appreciation._

* * *

**:::**

* * *

"That's everything," Sachi said as she clapped her hands together, admiring their handiwork. Ino, Ino's mother, and Sachi had been up since the crack of dawn decorating the village square for the Spring Festival that would be taking place that evening. It was mid afternoon and many vendors were setting up for the evening events. There would be music, art, dancing, food, and games. Ino could barely hold in her excitement, especially for the nine o'clock firework show. She took a seat on one of the nearby benches and smiled at the lively and colorful village square.

Twinkling lights had been hung in the trees and dangled down like glittery vines from the cherry trees. Pink and white petals decorated the tangled branches that stretched into the clear blue sky. Dozens of flowering wreathes and potted flowers were stationed by benches, the water fountain, and multitude of vendor booths. Paper lanterns were strung in crisscross patterns from one booth to the other, the metal lamp post were wrapped in blossoming garland, and white ribbons were tied on each and every tree. The sweet smell of nectar filled the air, hummingbirds flew around blissfully, butterflies opened up their decorated wings, and the calming down of water gurgling in the fountains added a touch of serenity. By nightfall everyone would in Konoha would be gathered in the market streets and town square to welcome the warmth of spring.

"Job well done, girls," Ino's mother commended as she sat down beside Ino. "Now both of you enjoy this festival tonight." Her mother smiled at her daughter and then turned to Sachi, who nodded in agreement. The blonde smiled back at her mother and leaned back against the wooden bench.

"Are you going to come watch the fireworks, Mrs. Yamanaka?" Sachi asked curiously as she started packing the equipment they had brought from the shop.

"No, I don't think so," Ino's mother said softly.

"You love the fireworks," Ino interjected, frowning a bit. She didn't want her mom to just sit at home and not enjoy the festival. Everyone in the entire village would be admiring their work. Even in the past, Yamanaka flowers had been decorating the village square for the Spring festival for nearly twenty years. It was a tradition that the entire clan cherished. Ino remembered when she was only a child her father would put her on his shoulders and together they would watch the fireworks with her mother at their side. That's how it always was, and that was how she wanted it to remain.

"It's been a long day, I think I'll just stay home for the evening," the woman explained, gently stroking her daughter's hair from her face. "I'm sure your friends will keep you plenty busy." Her mother tapped the tip of Ino's nose and smiled warmly.

"Are you okay mom?" Ino asked, sounding worried and concerned.

Her mother smiled and leaned over, kissing her daughter's forehead. "I'm perfectly fine," she assured her and stood up from the bench. "You better hurry, Ino. The festival starts at six and we both know you'll take forever to get dressed. You too, Sachi." The woman grabbed one of the bags and started heading in the direction of the shop with Sachi and Ino following behind her.

"Looks as beautiful as ever, Mrs. Yamanaka," Shikamaru's voice came as the three women entered the market district. He had his hands stuffed into his pockets as he was walking towards them. The woman laughed lightly as Shikamaru bowed slightly and looked to Ino and Sachi, greeting them each accordingly. "I think this is the best it's looked yet."

"Thank these two," Ino's mother said, gesturing to the young women beside her. "It was all their idea." She looked back at Shikamaru and studied him. He had grown into quite the respectable young woman. In many ways, Shikamaru resembled his father in more than just his physique, but also his mannerisms, intellect, and laziness. Sometimes, Ino's mother believed that Shikamaru was his father when she would see him pass by. He was a good man and she was sad to know that he had left this world with her own husband.

"You did a great job, I'm sure everyone will love it," Shikamaru said, his eyes first on Sachi then on Ino. He smiled at the blonde girl and looked away a moment later. "Will you be attending the festivities tonight, Mrs. Yamanaka?"

The woman frowned and shook her head. "No," she replied softly. "So I am hoping you will keep my daughter company and watch over her tonight."

Shikamaru smiled at the older woman and nodded. "Of course," he agreed and glanced back at Ino, who rolled her eyes and chuckled. "I know how taxing she can be," Shikamaru teased as he snuck another glance at Ino, who scoffed.

"Excellent," Ino's mother beamed and turned around to look at her scowling daughter. "Why don't you head home and get showered and dressed, Ino? You only have about three hours."

"I can help you guys with the shop," Ino assured her mother, who reached over to take the bag Ino was holding.

"Nonsense," Ino's mother chided with a giggle. "Go get ready."

Ino was about to protest, but Sachi chimed in saying they would be fine without her. Sighing in defeat, Ino gave in and let her mother take the bag away from her. The two women both said their goodbyes to Shikamaru and Ino before departing.

Ino looked to Shikamaru, who was looking at her in an odd way. She furrowed her brows and asked if he was okay. The lazy genius cleared his throat and shook his head, apologizing for staring at her. Ino shrugged her shoulders and licked her lips as they both stood on the street corner. Ever since that day at the meadow, Ino had been having strange feelings. This strong urge to stay with Shikamaru and constantly be at his side. Ino wasn't entirely sure what had come over her, but she couldn't get over him. She wanted to be with him, she wanted to kiss him again, she wanted to hug him, and hold his hand. Part of her wondered if he was feeling the same way, neither one truly acted on it. After the kiss in the meadow, they spent the rest of the day like it had never happened at all. Ino didn't want to do that though.

"Wanna walk me home?" Ino asked after a few moments of silence passed between them. Shikamaru nodded and held his arm out to her. She smiled brightly and looped her arm through his as they started walking towards her house just a few blocks down.

"Ino," Shikamaru began, and she looked up at him with sparkling eyes. He stopped walking after a few moments and turned to face her. His hand gently stroked the side of her face, brushing her blonde hair behind her ear. Ino closed her eyes at the warmth of his touch and at the roughness of his calloused finger tips. It was actually a feeling she quite enjoyed feeling against her silky skin. "I need to tell you something important."

She looked worried at his words, which in turn made Shikamaru nervous. He was going to tell her about his feelings, how his mild annoyance of her had turned into friendship, into liking, and now it had grown into love. After his talk with Sakura the other afternoon, Shikamaru knew that Ino had to know how he felt.

"Shikamaru your scaring me," Ino admitted as she saw the struggle in his eyes. She could see the inner turmoil raging on inside like a firestorm. "Just tell me, it's okay." The blonde was hopeful that it wasn't as bad as he was making it out to be, but something told her that hope was hopeless.

"I..." Shikamaru stopped and licked his lips before continuing, "I think that I may...actually, I know that I have fallen in love with you."

Ino's eyes widened and her lips curled into a bright smile. Her best friend and long time teammate was blushing as Ino stared at him not saying a single word. He pressed his lips together and wondered if he should say something else. Just before he had the chance though, Ino placed her hands on his shoulders, pushed herself up with her toes, and gently pressed her lips onto his. At first, Shikamaru was shocked by her response, but his hands snaked around her waist and pulled her close.

He kissed her back passionately. For those few moments, Shikamaru forgot about everything else. Ino slowly pulled away and went flat on her feet, looking up at Shikamaru through her long lashes. He smiled at her and kissed the top of her head.

"I love you too," Ino whispered, and Shikamaru laughed lightly as they looked into each others eyes. If someone had told him that he and Ino would one day fall in love when they were children, he'd call them crazy. Love worked in mysterious ways though, everything they had been through brought them together. The only sad part, Shikamaru would have to leave her for a while and that would surely destroy them both.

"There's something else I need to tell you," Shikamaru said to her as he nodded for her to follow him. They started walking down the street, nearly half way to Ino's place, Shikamaru turned to look at her. Ino was staring at him with a question look on her face. "While I was in Suna, I was offered another position."

Ino stopped walking and sucked in a breath. She was already not liking the sound of it. Ever since the war had ended, many shinobi leaders found Shikamaru's intelligence and battle strategy bar none. He may not have been someone who was impressive with jutsu or shear strength, but it made up with his genius. When Ino was young she thought it was lame to have him on her team, but she quickly discovered that intelligence and tactics could change a battle just as much as fire power.

Shikamaru stopped a few steps ahead of Ino and looked back at her. The blonde woman sighed softly and swallowed hard. He knew that she wouldn't like what he was going to say next, but it was time she knew the truth.

"I met a feudal lord who has asked me to be both his advisor and guard while he rebuilds his country," Shikamaru explained, meeting Ino's eyes.

She smiled weakly at him and took a step towards him. "That's very impressive, Shikamaru," Ino said to him with a single nod. "I'm proud of you. You deserve it, you really do." She bit her lip when she finished speaking and looked down at the ground, digging the toe of her shoe into the ground.

"Thanks," Shikamaru replied, taking a step towards her. They were just a few inches apart now. Ino looked up at him and shook her head. She was obviously conflicted between being happy for him and sad. "It's quite the opportunity, you know."

Ino nodded in agreement. "Just tell me, Shika."

"Two years," he said.

Ino was quiet, and Shikamaru stared at her pointedly. He was waiting for her to react. She could scream, cry, walk away, but standing before him silently worried him. Letting out a breath, Ino shook her head and looked up at Shikamaru. His face was devoid of emotion, he was waiting for her before he reacted.

"You already turned Lady Tsunade down?" Ino asked him, and he nodded once. "I want you to." Her words were sharp or cruel, but gentle and soft. She didn't mean it in a harsh way at all, but rather in an encouraging manner. Ino brushed her hair out of her face and bit her lip as she looked at Shikamaru, who seemed in complete and utter shock. The woman before him chuckled softly and shrugged her shoulders. "What kind of friend would I be if I told you to stay? I want you too, but I know you want this and in turn, I want this for you too." She smiled at him and nodded her head once.

Shikamaru didn't know what to say. It was like a switch had suddenly been flipped. Ino wasn't at all the childish, annoying, crybaby he knew her to be when they were kids. Standing before him, he saw a respectable, smart, and endearing young woman. For so long, Shikamaru babied her. He knew that deep down Ino had this in her all along, but she rarely showed it. He smiled at her and took hold of her hands, lacing his fingers through hers. Ino looked into his eyes and smiled back at him.

"You've changed so much, Ino," Shikamaru whispered.

Ino stifled a laugh and shook her head. "You have too, we both grew up."

Shikamaru nodded in agreement and pulled her into him. He held her tight and realized that his friend was suddenly someone he couldn't imagine living without. It would be hard to leave her, but he would keep in touch. Shikamaru wouldn't make the same mistake he did in Suna, he would write to her, maybe if he could he would visit her too.

"Ino," Shikamaru said and looked down at her. "I'll come back."

She smiled at him, tears forming in her eyes as she nodded her head. "I know you will," she replied and started walking with her hand holding onto his. "You better write me."

Shikamaru laughed. "I will."

* * *

**:::**

* * *

Her hair was curled in lose ringlets that cascaded down her back. She had her plump lips painted red and her lashes coated with the blackest mascara. As she stared at herself, she looked away and thought about her conversation with Shikamaru. She didn't want to cry, but she felt sad. It was like salt in the wound, knowing that he was going to leave for two years. Sure, he said he would come back and he assured her that he would write, but it wasn't the same. Ino shook her head, and told herself to stop seeing the negative. This was a good thing for Shikamaru, it would make him grow into a better shinobi. She already thought he was pretty great, but there was always room for improvement.

Ino stood up from her vanity and looked at her kimono that was hanging behind her. She turned around and walked over to the flowing fabrics. Her hands touched the silks and cotton materials. Taking the kimono from the hanger, Ino slipped on the nagajuban followed by the white silk kimono that was dyed with beautiful purple and gold floral designs. She tied the dark purple obi around her midsection and raised her arms, allowing the tamoto to fall at her side like wings. As she finished dressing herself, Ino turned around and looked at herself in the mirror. She smiled at herself, she looked like a princess in her kimono with her hair in beautiful curls.

"Ino! Shikamaru's here!" her mother shouted from downstairs.

Ino looked at the door and let out a breath. Shikamaru had seen her dolled up before, but this time it was different. They both knew how they felt about each other now. Neither one had said they'd make it official, but could they? Shikamaru was leaving in two weeks. It was like setting themselves up to fall apart. Shaking it off, Ino opened up her bedroom door and started walking towards the stairs. Ino made her descent down the stairs and when she reached the first floor, Shikamaru turned around to look at her.

"Wow," he said with a smile. "You look great," he complimented as he turned his entire body to face her.

"Thank you," Ino said with a blush. Her blue eyes looked at him, starting from his dark green haori down to his dark brown hakama and sandaled feet. He reached into his haori and pulled out a small black box. When he approached her, he held it out to her and Ino laughed lightly. "What's this?" she asked.

"Open it," he told her as she took the box from him. As she pulled off the top, Ino's eyes widened at the beautifully decorated kanzashi lying on red velvet.

"Oh my...Shikamaru this is beautiful," Ino said, looking up at him. He smiled at her and nodded, telling her he thought she would like it. "I love it, thank you!" She quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled away to place the hair ornament into her curled locks.

Ino walked over to a round mirror in the living room and pulled out the purple floral piece that had beautiful white and purple petals dangling from the main portion. She gathered a piece of her hair and slipped the comb into it. Once it was secured in place, Ino turned back to Shikamaru.

"Beautiful," he told her.

"Oh! What a beautiful kanzashi!" Ino's mother exclaimed as she walked out of the kitchen. "You look so pretty, Ino," her mother said as she opened up her arms to hug her daughter. The blonde chuckled softly and hugged her mother. "Have fun tonight." They pulled apart and Ino's mother gently stroked her daughter;s cheek.

"You sure you don't want to come?" Ino asked.

"I'm sure," her mother replied with a single nod. "Have fun sweetheart. Take care of my daughter, Shikamaru."

"Yes ma'am," Shikamaru agreed, bowing politely. The older woman smiled and looked back to her daughter, telling her to go. Ino thanked her mother once more before turning back to Shikamaru, who held his hand out to her. When she took his hand, Shikamaru gently pulled her forward and looped her arm through his before leading her out of the house.


	6. SIX

**Author's Note: **Hello everyone, I know this is way overdue and I am so sorry for the wait. Honestly, I hit a writers block moment with this and started redoing the plot line. Then when I was satisfied, I wrote this chapter not once, not twice, but three times before I finally liked it enough to share it will all of you. I hope that you enjoy this next part, after this section it's a two year time skip. Again, I apologize for the long wait and hope this chapter is entertaining enough.

* * *

"Things change. And friends leave. Life doesn't stop for anybody."

― Stephen Chbosky

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**PART SIX**

Ino and Shikamaru sat side by side on the grassy knoll that over looked the river. The moonlight and stars sparkled in the water as it slowly rippled from the falling flower petals. Many people had gathered around to watch the firework show that was going to begin in five minutes. Ino looked at all the different people, and smiled weakly as children ran around with sparklers in their hands. She sighed softly and looked up at the dark night sky.

"We used to do this when we were kids, remember?" Ino asked Shikamaru as she slowly lowered her gaze. The young man beside her stared down at the river and nodded his head slowly. He remembered those summer nights when they would watch the stars together until their parents came looking for them. Ino had never been one for cloud watching, but she loved to stargaze for hours. It was a shared secret between just the two of them. Every Sunday night in the summer, Ino and Shikamaru would come out to watch the stars together. They wouldn't say much to one another, but they really didn't have too.

"Seems like a long time ago now," Shikamaru said gently, turning his attention to Ino. She nodded in agreement, staring into his warm brown eyes. Those eyes had offered her comfort and had given her confidence so many times. The thought that she wouldn't be able to see them for two years terrified her. Ino didn't want to seem need or weak though, so she held it all inside. "Are you okay?" he asked, looking away from her.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Ino replied with a weak smile.

"Is that the normal person's 'I'm fine' or the Ino version of 'I'm fine'?" Shikamaru asked with a chuckle, and Ino playfully hit him. "If you recall you told me there is a scale of great, good, okay, not okay, and I'm fine." He listed the scale on his fingers, and Ino looked at him in surprise.

"You actually remember that?" Ino asked with a laugh. She had told him that scale when they were only genin. It was the day they had been placed on the same team. She was incredibly disappointed that her billboard brow friend had been put on the same team as the amazingly cool Sasuke Uchiha. Looking back now, Ino had to admit she was happy that things turned out the way she did. Shikamaru and Chouji were like family to her, she was just too selfish to realize it back then.

"How could I forget? You yelled at me for believing that you were actually fine, at the time I didn't realize that it was a trick question…or answer rather," Shikamaru explained with a snicker as he laid back in the grass, placing his hands behind his head. "So I'm assuming that you are not fine."

Ino looked down at her hands resting in her lap. Shikamaru knew her better than that, he was probably just asking to see if she would say what was on her mind. He played dumb sometimes to make Ino feel better, but Shikamaru was good at reading people, especially her.

"I'm just wondering what it's going to be like when you're gone," Ino said barely above a whisper. Her eyes drifted over to Shikamaru, who was already looking at her with a serious stare. She quickly looked away and Shikamaru sat up, reaching for her face. When he forced her to look at him, Ino swallowed hard and tried to blink back her tears.

"Don't," Shikamaru commanded, and Ino flinched. "Don't cry for me like I'm never coming back." He stroked her cheek with his thumb and smiled weakly.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, feeling stupid and weak. Her confidence had been shattered ever since she lost her father in the war, ever since Chouji and Shikamaru stopped coming around, she just couldn't seem to pick up the pieces. The thing was, Shikamaru could still see that courage and strength within her.

"Ino, listen to me closely, can you do that?" Shikamaru asked, letting his hand fall from her face.

"Yes," Ino responded with a single nod.

Shikamaru looked her right in the eye. "You have a strong set of legs, so you need to get up and use them. The only one holding you back is yourself, so get up and move forward. Don't use me as an excuse, I want you to pick yourself up and put all the broken pieces back together. Until you decide to do that, no one can help you."

Ino stared at him slightly shocked by his words. They weren't cruel, but they were what she needed to hear. When she looked away from him, Ino nodded her head slowly. He was right, no one could help her until she decided to help herself. The only one standing in her way from getting over this pain was herself. Her father was gone, many shinobi died that day, but it was over now. She had to continue her father's legacy.

"I will," Ino said.

The fireworks shot up into the sky. Rings of red, green, and white scattered across the sky. Ino and Shikamaru both looked up at the sky watching the pops of color. The sound of firecrackers whistling into the sky filled the village along with the cheers and claps of the onlookers. Ino beamed as the colors danced across the sky and rested her head on Shikamaru's shoulder. He chuckled lightly and kissed the top of her head before looking back to watch the fireworks light up the sky.

* * *

:::

* * *

"Lord Ryuhei," Shikamaru greeted with a humble bow as the young feudal lord and his current advisor, Koji, approached the village gates. Tomorrow morning, the two honored visitors would be leaving and Shikamaru would be accompanying them. The time had flown since the night he and Ino watched the fireworks at the festival. She had taken what he had said to heart and seemed to real be trying. He was grateful for that, he didn't want to have to worry about her while he was away. "How was the trip?" Shikamaru asked as the two visitors stopped before him.

"Quite the adventure, wouldn't you say, Koji?" Lord Ryuhei asked with a laugh, while Koji simply scoffed. "There are many pleasant little towns along the way here."

"And he had to visit every bar and casino along the way," Koji muttered with a roll of his eyes. Shikamaru laughed lightly, sounded just like Tsunade. He had traveled with her on a few missions, and she loved to stop and try her hand at every casino while drinking way too much. "We would have been here yesterday had the foolish young lord not drank so much."

"Oh, we were winning!" Ryuhei huffed and waved his hand. "Nevertheless, thank you for coming to greet us." The young lord bowed to Shikamaru, who assured him it was nothing. He was an ambassador, greeting foreign dignitaries was one of his jobs. Not to mention that Lord Ryuhei would soon be his boss. When the young lord straightened up he looked at the massive gates of the Konoha's entrance. "These gates are marvelous, we'll need these back home. Wouldn't this be amazing, Koji?" Ryuhei inquired of his advisor as he examined the large pillars and wooden doors that stood nearly a hundred feet high. It was one hell of a defense; of course any skilled shinobi could easily walk up the walls.

"Indeed," Koji answered shortly with his hands placed behind his back. "Sir, we should go greet the Hokage, we're already late."

The young lord turned to look at Shikamaru and Koji. "I would like a tour first. Would you be so kind, Shikamaru?"

The shadow user opened his mouth, but closed it and nodded once in agreement. Lady Tsunade was never one for formal meetings. She would just assume have a few drinks and have some idle chitchat. Ryuhei seemed to be a lot like the Hokage, but maybe a little more curious. Shikamaru gestured towards the path leading into the village, offering them guidance as they walked.

"Lord Ryuhei likes to observe," Koji explained as they followed behind Ryuhei. The young lord was stopping every so often to admire the busy streets and the buildings of Konoha. The Land of Swamps was very small compared to the Leaf's metropolis. Ryuhei had plans to one day turn his homeland into a beautiful city. He traveled frequently to get inspirations and make connections with people.

"He seems to know a lot because of that though," Shikamaru replied as they entered the market. Ryuhei ventured towards one the vendors and began speaking with them about their products.

"I would like to test your skills, Shikamaru," Koji said, causing Shikamaru to look at him and stop walking. "In combat, I wish to see what you are capable of." The shadow user was never one to fight, but given that he would be replacing Koji it made sense for him to agree to such things. It was obvious that Koji wanted to make sure the young lord and his family would be safe.

"I would be happy to oblige, Koji." Shikamaru bowed slightly, and Koji smiled clapping the younger man on the shoulder. The two looked and saw that Lord Ryuhei was half way down the road. "He travels fast," Shikamaru chuckled.

"Don't be fooled, he just needs one person to give him a moment to ask one of his silly questions," Koji replied as they walked side by side toward Lord Ryuhei, who was admiring some breads in a bakery. Shikamaru smirked, being reminded of Lord Ryuhei's question about the elephants. "Although, his questions are silly, it really is eye opening."

"You think highly of him," Shikamaru noted.

"He saved my life," Koji explained with a shrug. "He's young, but he acts beyond his years sometimes. You're very lucky, Shikamaru."

"I think that depends on who you ask," Shikamaru replied.

Koji snickered and shook his head. "You don't want to leave Konoha, do you?" he asked with a smile. Shikamaru clicked his tongue and shook his head. He could leave Konoha, it was Ino and his mother he didn't want to leave. Even though he told them he was leaving and he would be fine and they would be fine, he was starting to have a few doubts. Perhaps it was the fact they were so close to the actual day he would be leaving. In three days, Shikamaru would be leaving with Koji and Lord Ryuhei.

"I can leave Konoha, it's the people I'm leaving behind that makes me feel unlucky," Shikamaru explained honestly with a small smile. "I know I will come back, but two years is a long time to be away from the people you love."

Koji stared at Shikamaru and put his hand in front of him, stopping him from walking. The shadow user looked at Koji, who seemed to be studying him closely. "You're in love with someone here," the man said, and Shikamaru remained silent and tight-lipped as Koji smirked. The shadow user looked passed Koji and noticed Lord Ryuhei was standing in front of Yamanaka Flowers. Koji turned around when he noticed Shikamaru's attention was elsewhere. "If it's a strong love, it will last."

"Are you giving me sappy romance advise?" Shikamaru asked with a laugh.

"Yes, I am." Koji nodded and turned around, making his way to the flower shop.

"Doesn't really seem like your style," Shikamaru commented mostly to himself as he followed along.

* * *

:::

* * *

The young Lord of the Swamps intrigued Tsunade. He was rather peculiar and different to say the least, she attributed that to him being so young compared to the others. The man was barely thirty years of age, he probably had much to learn and experience. In other ways though, Ryuhei was very wise. She could see why Shikamaru was more or less wooed by the man. He was incredibly charming and could probably talk himself out of being murdered by even some of the hardest of criminals. Of course, Koji had expressed that Lord Ryuhei may have acted like a fool sometimes he was actually checking out his opponents. He apparently liked to psychologically study people, finding what compelled people to do and act certain ways.

"So what is it about Shikamaru that makes you want to take him from the village?" Tsunade inquired as she brought her cup of tea to her lips. She sipped on it for a moment before putting it back down and looking to the young lord, who only smiled. "Aside from the fact that he is probably the most brilliant shinobi at the current time, you must have other reasons."

Lord Ryuhei tilted his head slightly and chuckled a bit, looking out at the cityscape of Konoha. "Are you saying his knowledge and political standing are not good enough reasons for me to wish to attain him as my right hand man?"

"I am simply wondering if you have other reasons," Tsunade clarified with a small smile as she wrapped her manicured fingers around her teacup.

"I am not forcing him to come with me, Lady Tsunade," Lord Ryuhei explained to her as he sipped on his own tea. His eyes were on her as she stared right back at him nodding stiffly. "This is his own decision. The reasons I wish to attain him are, as you say for the benefit of my own region. His political standing and vast knowledge is a power far greater than that of brute force. I do not wish to build my nation on the backs of my people by bloodshed, but rather through commerce and connections."

Tsunade was not sure whether she should be impressed with his answer or see it as some form of generic response. There was no ill will to be had, but Tsunade had never met a man quite like Ryuhei before. The air about him was gentle, yet demanding and his manner of voice was soft, yet firm. If anything, Tsunade would declare him as a rightful and powerful leader. The Land of Swamps would become a very successful nation with him as the spine. With Shikamaru by his side, that was simply the icing on the cake. In a sense, Tsunade wanted to deny Lord Ryuhei access to one of her finest shinobi, but at the same time she felt wrong just thinking such things.

The Land of Swamps had never been a powerful military force; instead they cultivated their lands providing poisons and medicines to all the other nations. If anything, the Land of Swamps was an entirely neutral country. They didn't pick sides; so long as they were paid they were happy to sell. Tsunade didn't like that part about them though because they could easily be the fuel to a war with that mentality. Perhaps Lord Ryuhei would change that about his nation though, he was completely different from his predecessor after all.

"Do you plan to change the way your country was once run?" Tsunade inquired.

"If I didn't things would end up as they are now, would they not?" Lord Ryuhei asked back, causing Tsunade to tilt her head slightly.

"Do you always redirect?" she asked, leaning back in her seat.

"You asked Shikamaru to take over his father's position, but he chose to come with me instead. You are disappointed in that choice, perhaps you are taking it out on me?" Lord Ryuhei smiled, and Tsunade let out a heavy breath, flicking her blond hair over her shoulder. "I can assure you, Lady Tsunade, I only wish to repair the land my family destroyed."

Tsunade swallowed and nodded her head in understanding. "Very well," the busty blond replied reluctantly. "I will sign the agreement."

"Excellent, I appreciate your cooperation in the matter. I will return him to you safely in two years time," Lord Ryuhei explained as he pulled a scroll from within his yukata. He handed it over to her and Tsunade opened it up with easy, signing to the agreement of temporarily signing Shikamaru Nara over to the Land of Swamps.

"I want him back in one piece and alive, Lord Ryuhei," Tsunade explained to him with a wave of her finger.

"Of course," Lord Ryuhei agreed with a polite smile.

* * *

:::

* * *

Shikamaru smirked as he looked across the way to Koji, who was trapped by his shadow. The older man smirked and nodded his head, impressed with Shikamaru's abilities. Koji had never personally faced off against such a unique jutsu, but he knew a lot about the famed Nara clan. For the past hour the two had faced off in combat and Shikamaru showed rather proficient skills in all areas. His abilities with weapons and chakra control as well as his shadow manipulation were high ranking. Koji felt that Shikamaru would do well in his position as an advisor to Lord Ryuhei.

"I feel that you will do the job as advisor and guard very well, Shikamaru," Koji explained as Shikamaru released him from his shadows. The shadow users smiled weakly and thanked the man for the compliment. "Lord Ryuhei had a good eye for you."

"Koji, why are you stepping down?" Shikamaru inquired. All this time it had never officially been brought up and he was curious. There didn't appear to be anything wrong with Koji, he was still physically capable and his mental ability was just as strong. Lord Ryuhei could still benefit from having Koji around. "You seem more than capable of doing this job for the next decade or so."

"You are correct, but Lord Ryuhei needs someone with more political status," Koji explained, which caused Shikamaru to furrow his brows. Surely, Koji was well known throughout the nations. If anything, he could certainly build a reputation in no time. He was intelligent and strong, polite and well versed in many subjects. In some ways, Shikamaru would even say he looked up to the man.

"You are more than capable of gaining such a status," Shikamaru replied with a shake of his head. "There must be something more than my intelligence and political standing."

"Someone needs to build the shinobi forces," Koji explained as he walked towards Shikamaru and sighed softly. "You're looking at the person to do it. So you will now understand why Lord Ryuhei wants you while he moves me elsewhere."

"So you stepped down voluntarily?" Shikamaru asked as the two walked over to a nearby boulder. They both sat down and relaxed under the late afternoon sun. Koji nodded his head and explained it was his idea to prepare shinobi forces.

"When you're rebuilding a nation you need military force, political standing and recognition, along with commerce," Koji explained as he stretched his arms above his head and leaned back against the boulder. "You will handle the political mess and I will handle the military."

"I'm really not one for political games," Shikamaru commented, earning a small laugh from Koji.

"That makes two of us," Koji agreed as he looked to Shikamaru, who had his arm resting against his knees. "But between you and me, you'd be better at it. Your training with psychology is far more advanced than my own understanding. You read people the same way Lord Ryuhei does, but the interesting part about Ryuhei is that he can also break people down. He's great at manipulation."

"That can also be a bad thing," Shikamaru pointed out with a chuckle. "But for a man of his status, it's probably a good thing."

Koji nodded in agreement and clicked his tongue. "You should probably return to your friends and family," Koji said, turning to look at the young man. "We'll be leaving first thing in the morning."

Shikamaru nodded his head slowly, wondering what it would be like to leave everyone for two years. So much could change in that amount of time, but more importantly Ino would probably move on with her life. That struck a chord in him after he finally got the girl; he was simply leaving her without hesitation.

"I will meet you and Lord Ryuhei at the gates tomorrow morning." With those words, Shikamaru climbed off the boulder and started walking back towards the village with his hands in his pockets.

"Shikamaru," Koji called out, causing the spikey haired young man to stop. "You'll come back here a completely different person, and you should remember your friends and family will be different too."

The young man blinked a few times before turning around to look at Koji, who smiled weakly. "And why are you telling me that?"

"I'm preparing you for the reality that when things get left behind they change," Koji explained with a small shrug. Shikamaru stared at the man for a minute, wondering if he was telling him to stay or if he was really just trying to prepare him for what was to come. Either way, Shikamaru wasn't going to change his mind now. Tsunade had already signed the contract, Shikamaru had already agreed, it was just time to go. His mind was made up and he'd seem more like a coward if he backed out of it now.

"Do they always change?" Shikamaru asked when he turned his back to Koji.

"It's been my experience that they do, but the change isn't always a bad kind of change. Sometimes it can be the good kind," Koji replied.

"Have a good evening, Koji," Shikamaru said as he departed from the training ground.

* * *

:::

* * *

Shikamaru laid on the roof of his home, staring up at the stars and mindlessly flipping his previous sensei's lighter open and closed. He was lost in a deep thought of what was to come. Two years was a long time to be gone from everything he has ever known. As it was even missions that went on for a month were taxing, but for two years? Shikamaru might as well have agreed to live a whole new life. It was an amazing opportunity. Shikamaru knew that this particular moment could change everything in his life. The real question was would he like those changes? There was no telling what was on the road ahead, so he would just have to roll with it. He was certain of two things, and both of those things were open-ended and vague. One was that he was leaving and things were going to change regardless of his wishes and hopes. The second thing he knew was that his friends and family would change as well.

In two years Naruto would nearly be the Hokage of the village. Sakura would probably be the head of the Medic Nins. Sasuke would be granted full clemency and would probably be the leader of the ANBU Black Ops. Chouji would be the head of his clan and probably be engaged to that woman he was courting. His mother would probably still be the same knaggy woman, just a little bit older.

Then there was Ino.

Shikamaru stopped messing with the lighter in his hand and sat up. He sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose before looking up at the moon. This was really it, when he woke up the next morning he'd be moving to another nation and leading a new life.

"You're not even going to say goodbye?" Naruto's voice broke out.

Shikamaru leaned over and looked down into the garden where the blond stood with his hands propped on his hips. "I assumed it'd be easier if I just left," the lazy genius explained as he laid back on the roof.

Naruto scoffed and jumped up to the roof. He sat down beside Shikamaru and shook his head. "That's a terrible and pathetic lie," the blond chided with an eye roll. "You just got back and now you're leaving again, for two whole years. Maybe you should have mentioned that." Naruto crossed his arms over his chest, and Shikamaru sighed wishing the knucklehead would just vanish.

"You think this was an easy decision?" Shikamaru grumbled as he rolled over, so his back was too Naruto.

"Well if you don't really want to go then don't," Naruto said with a shrug. "No one is telling you to leave. You can stay here."

"No, I have to do this," Shikamaru deadpanned as he turned back to look at Naruto.

"Then you should tell everyone you're leaving," Naruto commented, staring right into Shikamaru's eyes.

"Anyone who has to know, already knows," Shikamaru assured him.

"You didn't tell me," Naruto muttered a bit hurt that Shikamaru didn't think to tell him.

"Oh geez, I'm sorry…is that what you're looking for?" Shikamaru asked in annoyance as he sat up and propped himself up with his elbows. "You'll be training to be Hokage for the next couple of years and I'll be doing the same for the head of the Intelligence Unit."

"So that's why you're leaving to get more experience? Shikamaru you're normally the smartest guy in the room," Naruto pointed out with a small laugh. "If you get any smarter your head might explode from the ridiculous amount of knowledge."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes at Naruto strange imagination. "I'm going to miss this odd moments with you," the genius joked, causing Naruto to chuckle a bit. "It'll all be fine, I'll come back."

"Then there is no talking you out of this?" Naruto asked with a tilt of his head.

Shikamaru smiled weakly and said, "I have to go."

* * *

:::

* * *

The sun broke over the distance hills in the east. It's golden white beams stretched like fingers through the trees and valleys in the distance, reaching the front gates of Konoha. Shikamaru walked down the main road with his head high and eyes forward. He could already see Koji and Lord Ryuhei were waiting for him. The time had finally arrived he was leaving home.

When he reached the two of them he bowed politely and greeted them appropriately. They asked him if he had said his goodbyes and if he was ready for the long journey ahead. He knew he was ready, but there was a shred of guilt inside of him. Not because he was leaving, but because he hadn't given Ino the proper goodbye. Maybe it was just too hard to face her after she told him she couldn't lose him too. She may have acted strong when he told her he was leaving that day of the festival, but inside she was a shattered mess. He knew her too well to assume otherwise, so instead of giving her the proper goodbye, he was just going to silently leave.

"I'm ready to go," Shikamaru confirmed with a single nod.

Lord Ryuhei smiled and clapped the young shinobi on the shoulder. "Then let us depart," he said as he started walking through the gates with Koji in tow. Shikamaru smiled weakly and watched the two crossed through the gate threshold. He took in a deep breath and looked back at Konoha. "Come on, Shikamaru! Or you'll fall behind!"

Shikamaru started walking backwards and turned around after a few steps. He caught up with the two, but stopped a moment later. Someone was watching, so he looked back and saw her long blonde hair and shimmering blue eyes. Shikamaru sighed softly as Ino stood in the middle of the road, watching him silently.

"Friend of yours?" Koji inquired as he walked over to Shikamaru, staring at the blonde.

"Yeah, two minutes," Shikamaru said as he started walking back towards Ino. As he was approaching, Shikamaru dropped his pack and Ino ran to him. She threw her arms around his neck and held onto him tightly. He knew she was crying silently when she buried her face into his neck and shoulder. Sighing softly, Shikamaru gently stroked her back and kissed the side of her head.

"You idiot," Ino laughed as she pulled away from him and wiped away her few tears. "Leaving without saying goodbye, you're off to a bad start."

"This isn't goodbye, Ino," Shikamaru assured her, brushing her hair out of her face. "I'm coming back," he said with a small smile and leaned forward, kissing her forehead.

"I'll miss you," she whispered as he pulled away from her. Shikamaru frowned slightly and placed his hand under her chin, causing her to look up at him. He stared into her eyes and without any hesitation; he pressed his lips gently onto hers. Ino placed her hands on his chest, gripping his flak jacket tightly and pushed herself onto her toes. Shikamaru's hands snaked onto her hips and he pulled her close to him before breaking the kiss.

"Take care of yourself," Shikamaru told her as he gave her one last hug. When he pulled away, his fingers slowly slipped out of Ino's hand. She nodded to him and he smiled before saying, "That's my girl." With those words, Shikamaru grabbed his pack off the ground and slung it onto his shoulder and departed from the gates of Konoha.

When he caught up with Lord Ryuhei and Koji, they looked at him with intrigue. "Pretty girl," Lord Ryuhei commented with a smile as they all began walking again. "Must be hard to leave her behind."

"We'll see each other again," Shikamaru replied, trying to be optimistic.

"Pretty girl like that, you think she'd wait for you?" Lord Ryuhei asked.

"I didn't ask her too," Shikamaru said with a small shrug.

"Want to go back and tell her too?" Lord Ryuhei teased with a lighthearted chuckle. "I wouldn't blame you."

"Another thing to look forward to, Shikamaru," Koji chimed in. "Lord Ryuhei has a soft spot for pretty women."

"Then he will certainly enjoy the political parties," Shikamaru said with a smirk. "Alcohol, pretty women, and lots of rumors."

"Sounds exciting, I'd love to play in the political game," Lord Ryuhei laughed.

"All in good time, Lord Ryuhei," Shikamaru assured him before looking back at Konoha one last time before continuing on into the forest.


End file.
